Deployment speed & complexity of on-premise vs. cloud software

One of the biggest questions in IT infrastructure planning is whether to go with on-premise or cloud software solutions. Each type of software comes with its own pros and cons.

To help organizations choose the software that best fits their needs, we created an executive guide that walks you through 6 key factors and breaks down cloud and on-premise strengths and weaknesses for each factor.

Download it here to learn about all 6 factors or read on for an overview of on-premise versus cloud software deployment speed and complexity.

The first question to ask yourself is, "Are you the tortoise or the hare?"

Or in other words…

What's your timeline? Do you need to implement your solution immediately, or can you spend some extra time customizing and configuring an on-premise solution?

For quick implementation, a cloud-based software provider is your best bet. However, you may have to sacrifice some features or customization for the sake of a speedy rollout.

Let's look deeper at each so you can make the right choice for your organization.

On-premise deployment speed & complexity

With on-premise software, your company shoulders responsibility for maintaining the solution and associated processes. The deployment is done in-house using your company's workforce and tech. On-premise implementations usually take longer due to the time needed to complete installations on servers and any individual computers or laptops. Slow and steady wins the race, right? In this case, your prize is more control.

On-premise deployment does require more man hours and more staff, but provides complete command over your data, hardware, and software platforms. It's like building your order at Chipotle. You decide on the configuration (bowl or burrito), the upgrades (yes, we know guac is extra!), and system changes (that new pollo asado? Yes, please!).

With an on-premise solution, you can make your system as complex or as simple as you need. In fact, companies with strong IT departments can create incredibly customized processes and workflows.

However, maybe your organization doesn't have the bandwidth for complex workflows and managing in-house tech teams right now. Or maybe you need to scale up very quickly and can't wait for a lengthy installation. Sometimes, you need to be the hare, not the tortoise. In that case, you should consider a cloud provider.

Cloud deployment speed & complexity

Let's hop right to it! A cloud-based solution can be deployed over the internet in a matter of hours or days because nothing needs to be installed on a physical server or computers.

In addition, the host-cloud service provider maintains the systems on their server, and takes care of all maintenance and related processes. You don't need IT experts on your staff to be able to keep things running smoothly.

The system is accessible by your enterprise at any given time, giving you flexibility, however, you often sacrifice customizability when you move to the cloud.

Depending on how it's hosted, a cloud solution may not be able to cope with complex development. You need to ask yourself if an easy deployment benefits your organization more than customizability.

Deployment speed and complexity are just a small part of choosing between on-premise and cloud software solutions.

In our ebook, On-Premise Vs. Cloud Software: The 6-Step Executive Guide, we cover many more factors, including security, compliance, and total cost of ownership.

Download the free ebook today.