Forrester Research Inc. has released a report and an associated analysis tool that offers a methodology for comparing the cost of in-house file storage to the cost of storing files in a public cloud. The report illuminates many variables beyond simple dollars-per-gigabyte base-cost comparisons.
The report runs a sample set of data using mid-range values for numerous variables involved in storing 100 terabytes of data for four years. In that example, compared to local hosting, the cloud reduces the cost by 74%. However, if the cost includes a cloud storage gateway service—comprising a client-side server and software to cache often-used data and manage the integration between local applications and cloud-stored data—the cost reduction drops to 25%.