For providers of critical communication solutions, the move towards cloud technology is often seen as a step towards modernization. Cloud-based platforms promise faster innovation, simpler operations, and the ability to scale and evolve without the heavy burden of traditional infrastructure management.
But, at the same time, some solution providers fear that such a shift might introduce new risks.
A deployment in the public cloud may mean giving up the local control that a deployment in their own infrastructure brings. Control over where systems run, how they are operated, how incidents are handled, how security is built, and how availability is ensured goes far beyond technical preference. These are decisive factors that guide solution providers in selecting the deployment model that aligns with their operational, regulatory, and reliability requirements.
This creates a dilemma. Solution providers do not want to accept the loss of local governance and control that a public cloud model could introduce. Yet staying entirely on traditional on-premises infrastructure means missing out on the operational benefits and speed of innovation that modern cloud platforms deliver. How can solution providers keep local control while still gaining the efficiency, scalability, and operational advantages of the cloud?
For many solution providers the benefits with a public cloud deployment clearly outweigh a traditional on-premises deployment.
But for some providers of critical communication solutions, it is important to keep the services on their own local compute infrastructure. Solution providers in this space have spent years – sometimes decades – building solutions where they maintain full control by deploying everything locally, such as in their own private data center or on local edge appliances.
The concerns some solution providers have with public cloud deployment are often rooted in their anticipated fear of losing local control in areas such as:
Even if a cloud platform is secure by design, some solution providers fear that moving sensitive communication workflows and data outside a controlled environment could introduce new threat models, shared responsibility, and perceived loss of visibility.
Critical communication systems may, for some, be integrated with local infrastructure, hardware, networks, and operational processes. Some solution providers fear that public cloud deployments may not align with resilience expectations or offline scenarios.
Relying on a third-party cloud infrastructure provider can for some solution providers feel incompatible with the accountability they carry toward their customers. They rather prefer a solution where they maintain a local compute infrastructure themselves
Beyond these technical aspects, there can be organizational, internal political, or emotional factors at play too. Teams that have successfully operated critical systems for years may naturally be cautious about change. Decision-makers may worry about reputational risk if critical services go down.
In this context, hesitation toward public cloud deployment is not resistance to innovation – it is risk management.
For many solution providers handling critical communication as a key part of their offering, the question isn’t whether to modernize, but how to modernize without introducing new risk elements.
This is where a hybrid deployment model starts to become interesting.
In a hybrid deployment model, the communication services run on the solution provider’s own infrastructure, for example in their private data center or on local appliances. This preserves control over architecture, security boundaries, and operational responsibility. At the same time, the platform is operated using cloud-based SaaS principles for lifecycle management, monitoring, updates, and communication services’ orchestration.
Rather than forcing an all-or-nothing choice, hybrid deployment offers a measured, pragmatic path to modernization.
Importantly, hybrid deployment should not be seen as a temporary stop on the way to “cloud-only.” For many critical communication use cases, it is a deliberate and long-term architectural decision.
iotcomms.io offers cloud-native communication services that can be deployed either in the public cloud or with a hybrid deployment model. The hybrid deployment model is specifically designed for solution providers requiring local control and governance, while at the same time wanting the benefits that a cloud SaaS brings. In this model the iotcomms.io API-based communication services are deployed on the solution provider’s own choice of infrastructure, such as in their private data center or local edge appliance, with iotcomms.io operating and monitoring the services.
iotcomms.io is one of few providers of cloud-based communication services that offers this deployment flexibility, and for solution providers wanting to modernize their solution and capitalize on the benefits of cloud SaaS without giving up their local control, the hybrid deployment model is an attractive choice.
