12. October 2023
1. Introduction
When choosing a solution for data anonymization an important choice is whether to host the solution On-premise or to opt for Cloud-based Saas offer. This article will present the basic differences and pros and cons of cloud-based SaaS vs self-hosted on-premise anonymization solutions.
On-premises anonymization refers to implementing and managing data anonymization solutions within an organization’s own infrastructure. The physical servers and software reside in-house. This could be on a simple laptop or a dedicated high performance computing cluster. In contrast, cloud-based anonymization involves outsourcing the services to a third-party provider, leveraging the cloud’s expansive and flexible infrastructure for data processing and management without the need to maintain physical servers.
2. Cloud-based vs On-premise Anonymization
There are various important aspects to consider when it comes to deciding whether to deploy an anonymization solution on-premise vs. using a cloud-based solution. For example: the volume of data, budget constraints, technical expertise, and compliance issues.
The pros of an on-premise deployment can be summarized with one word: control. You have full control of your data at all times and you can directly influence the processing speed by allocation resources as needed. On-premise deployments also sometimes make it easier to comply with data privacy regulations as the data is not handed over to a third party.
But these advantages come with a price. To make an on-premise deployment work smoothly it requires resources. First you need the hardware on which the anonymization software can run. Second you need the experts in-house that can install, maintain and possibly scale the solution in case of increasing demand. Third you need these experts to invest the time required.
Using a cloud-based SaaS offer on the other hand requires next to no additional resources except for paying for the solution. The solution is instantly available to use and no further operational expenditure is required for maintenance and scaling.
3. Conclusion
When deploying anonymization solutions companies not only have to choose a provider but also have to make a decision whether to host the solution on-premise or opt for a cloud-based SaaS solution.
While hosting anonymization solutions on-premise gives you more control over your data, this control is often not necessary. Choosing a cloud-based solution is often the more cost-effective approach as it outsources cost-intensive investments required as hardware and expertise. This way companies can allocate their resources more effectively and start anonymizing visual data instantly.
