Onpremises

On premises, or on-premises, refers to software, hardware, or data that is located within an organization's own facilities and operated by its staff rather than by a third-party provider. In this model, servers, storage, networking equipment, and related infrastructure are owned or leased and housed in an organization’s data center or server room. Applications may be installed directly on local servers or run on private hardware within the organization's premises. The term is commonly used to distinguish in-house deployments from cloud-based or outsourced services.

Key advantages include greater control over data and security, customization options, and lower latency for internal users. On-premises deployments can also help meet regulatory or contractual data-residency requirements and enable offline operation. However, they typically require substantial capital expenditure for hardware, software licenses, and facilities, plus ongoing maintenance, software upgrades, and dedicated IT staffing. Scaling to accommodate growth can be slower and more costly than cloud alternatives, and disaster recovery and business continuity planning fall largely on the organization.

In practice, many organizations use a mix of on-premises and cloud resources in a hybrid approach to balance control with scalability. Licensing models may include perpetual licenses, term licenses, or subscriptions, and vendors may offer support that mirrors cloud services. Data governance and security practices, such as access controls, encryption, and audit logging, are critical to maintain compliance. Migration to on-premises can involve data migration, integration with cloud or external systems, and careful planning of backup, disaster recovery sites, and maintenance windows.