Microsoft Lync
On-Premise vs. Cloud-Based
Videoconferencing
Deployment
Videocall Ltd
Videocall House, 100 Park Street, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3NY
When it comes to video communications, a large number of companies are now making the move from on-premise to cloud-based solutions to meet their needs.
Whether to host your service onsite or have it hosted remotely from the cloud is a big decision, and both options provide companies with a wealth of different benefits.
Microsoft Lync is one of the most popular choices for business communications, providing users with both on-premise and cloud-based solutions to satisfy all types of communication requirements.
So which is best, on-premise or cloud-based?
The answer is neither – each one has its own advantages that vary from organisation to organisation. It depends on a number of factors pertaining to your company, including size, location, and workloads.
We are here to help you weigh up the pros and cons of each method of deployment and allow you to make your own decision.
Top 10 Considerations
1. Features One of the main things that will impact your decision is the features you wish your MS Lync solution to provide you with.
An on-premise deployment will provide you with the full range of Lync features, some of which are not available in the cloud.
These features include:
Full Enterprise Voice Capabilities - e.g. direct connectivity with PBX systems and trunks and advanced phone systems such as response groups and call park
Media Quality Controls - Media quality assurance features such as Call Admission Control (CAC) and Quality of Service (QoS)
Persistent Chat - A feature that allows you to create discussion rooms based around a particular topic where you can communicate and collaborate with other users with a common interest
Chat rooms persist over time so you can track conversations about particular topics and search for specific content whenever you want
3rd Party Server Applications - Only on-premise deployments can work with trusted 3rd-party applications that use the Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API (UCMA)
Multi-National/Multi-Regional Support - If you have data centres in several countries or regions and you need servers to be deployed or managed on a regional basis then an on-premise solution can provide the required regional management capabilities
Here’s a comparison of Lync features on-premise vs cloud.
2. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) You also need to consider the monthly cost of an on-premise server vs. a cloud-based server. The cloud is generally considered to be the cheaper option, as it saves on installation, administrative and maintenance costs, but depending on the size of the solution, we have seen that an on-premise system could work out to be more cost-effective.
3. Capital Expenditure vs. Operational Expenditure That is whether you want to pay monthly or outright for your MS Lync service. Hosting on the cloud generally means you don’t have to pay an upfront investment for the necessary hardware. On the other hand, it is possible to avoid capital expenditure for on-premise solutions through leasing.
4. Assets Another thing to take into account in the potential tax benefits either solution might afford you. In some cases, owning or leasing an on-premise solution can actually be a great way of minimising tax liabilities, since the HMRC give tax relief if you purchase
equipment through an Annual Investment Allowance. Any potential tax benefits should factor into your considerations before deciding on either solution.
5. Business Continuity Consider which option would be best for your business in the worst case scenario. What if your internet goes down - do you really want everything running from a remote data centre you can’t reach?
On the other hand, if your office burns down, having your own solution on-premise means you will lose your own data centre. Consider the potential risks and which solution is most capable of maintaining the smooth running of your organisation in the event of a crisis.
6. Connectivity A requirement for running MS Lync from the cloud is reliable, constant network connectivity and bandwidth. Moving to the cloud is only a good idea if you can get enough bandwidth at an affordable price. There are a number of options to be explored here.
7. Flexibility Maybe you are a new business or a fast-growing one. Maybe you are planning on expanding in the near future or you have to scale up or down depending on seasonal variations. If any of these apply to you then a cloud-based solution can offer you the flexibility you need, which on-premise solutions can’t give you. It means you can easily and quickly move premises or increase and decrease users according to your requirements.
8. Data Protection If you are going with the cloud-based solution, you will need to be aware of how your data is protected. You as an organisation are responsible for the host’s
compliance with the relevant data protection legislation, and an on-premise solution may simpler in this respect.
On the other hand, maybe you would feel safer having your data stored in a Microsoft data centre, protected in the hands of a respected technology giant.
9. Tipping Point In a cloud-based solution, the costs i.e. of assets and licensing software are spread across multiple tenants. With the right number of users you can find a sweet spot,
your money.
10. Evaluation Many hosted solutions offer users a free trial period. If you are still uncertain of whether a cloud-based solution is right for you, it would be a good idea to take advantage of this and give it a test run before deciding whether it meets the needs of your organisation or if you would benefit more from the flexibility and additional features provided by an on-premise solution.
Videocall is a Microsoft Silver Partner in the Communications Competency.
We have demonstrated experience and expertise in planning and deploying Lync Environments and Unified Communications solutions. If you would like to review our customer references in this area, please do give us a call.
Alternatively, our on-demand cloud-based meeting management services may be the solution to your needs. And our Video Network Operations Centre (vNOC) provides full operator management of your telepresence and videoconference meetings management services 24 hours a day.
If you need more help to decide whether an on-premise or a cloud based video
communications platform is best suited to meeting your needs, please contact Videocall on +44(0)1276 706706 or visit www.videocall.co.uk
About Videocall
Videocall is one of the leading service providers and systems integrators of On-Premise and Cloud based video collaboration services to organisations worldwide. With over 450 active customers the company has out-performed the conferencing industry expectation, driven by organic growth and acquisition, to become one of the largest conferencing providers based in the UK. Videocall’s global reach extends throughout the world across all sectors supporting over 3000 sites globally, with an additional 1000 sites registered with Videocall’s video network operations centre (vNOC).
