After you determine that you need a mobile content management system (MCM), the next big decision is where to host the data. Most cloud providers (as their name implies) store your files on their servers. Some MCMs are on-premise only, requiring you to own and run the servers and storage. And some content management software lets you decide for yourself where you want to keep your data, on someone else's servers or on your company's equipment. Which is right for you? Let's see…

On-Premise

Keeping your files on-premise allows you the ultimate control. A lot of larger companies have the setup, design, network, and personnel resources to host their files and distribute them from a central location. And since the files are hosted locally, you get to impose your own data rules and manage the secure file sharing from your side. This includes delivering files over your VPN, adding another layer of file protection. There may be other compliance requirements or industry regulations that would require you to keep files in-house, or would create too much red tape to consider a cloud provider.

Cloud-Based

Mobile content delivery platforms that are cloud-based take care of much of the drudgery of system and network administration off your hands, leaving you to focus on the content administration itself. Smaller companies may not have the internal facilities or staff to make on-premise hosting plausible. While the systems may be easy to administer once they're up and running, it still takes someone to keep the servers updated and the files backed up. In-house staff is typically hired for this job as many companies don't want to trust their file sharing infrastructure to a consultant. This in turn can save money because the administration and overhead costs are distributed among the software customers.

The choice should be yours, however. It's your data, after all. You shouldn't have to choose your provider based on whether their solution is on-prem or in-cloud. Besides, you may change your mind at some point in your deployment. You may start on-premise but decide to take advantage of the freedom that cloud storage provides. Or, you may start in the cloud and want to bring everything in-house. Either way, freedom of choice is what you want.

To learn more download our latest guide on Mobile Content Management for the Enterprise