LiveSwitch Cloud: Is It Right For You?

LiveSwitch is a versatile real-time communication platform that offers both on-premise and cloud solutions: LiveSwitch Server (on-premise) and LiveSwitch Cloud (cloud). There is also a third approach, LiveSwitch Private Cloud (hybrid), which we will discuss in later articles. The deployment decision depends largely on the needs of an organization.

In this article, we will focus on LiveSwitch Cloud and explore: 

• How to decide if this is the right approach for you?
• What are the pros?
• What are the cons?
• Who is this approach best suited for?

Below are the pros and cons of LiveSwitch Cloud.

Pros of LiveSwitch Cloud

Managed Scalability

With LiveSwitch Cloud, our team handles scaling the resources up and down based on the demand. Our customers do not have to worry about having enough resources to process the volume of traffic at any point in time.

Cost Efficiency

LiveSwitch Cloud allows our customers to get started right away. We take care of the WebRTC infrastructure so you can focus on building your product and drastically reduce your time-to-market.

Maintenance and Updates

We handle the maintenance, updates, and security patches, thus reducing the administrative burden on our customers. LiveSwitch Cloud is updated with each new version of our software, ensuring that our customers benefit from bug fixes, enhancements, and feature releases right away.

Cons of LiveSwitch Cloud

Control

Infrastructure decisions, such as region and location, are controlled by LiveSwitch, which may not be ideal for customers who must observe stringent privacy policies. Some features are also not available or fully controllable in Cloud: SIP is not supported, and server-side simulcast configuration cannot be tweaked for each customer.

Performance

We pick the region where our servers are located, and it may not always be the optimal location to reduce the latency for your customers. 

Cost Over Time

LiveSwitch Cloud has a lower initial cost, but the costs can increase as you get more usage as the costs for data transfer between cloud services and egress (outbound) data also scale with usage. Additional services such as Recording and RTMP, which come at additional costs, can contribute to higher long-term expenses.

Who is the LiveSwitch Cloud best for?

LiveSwitch Cloud is best for organizations that would like to go-live immediately without having to worry about the infrastructure. This option is good for customers who prioritize scalability, cost efficiency, and reduced IT overhead and are comfortable with their infrastructure being managed by a third-party provider. It may also be well-suited for businesses with fluctuating usage patterns, as they can benefit from the scalability of our cloud solutions without needing to manage the infrastructure themselves. Eventually, as your usage grows and it makes economic sense to transition to LiveSwitch Server, we’re happy to help you with that switch. Aside from the infrastructure detail, moving to LiveSwitch Server from Cloud is as straightforward as changing the URL that your application points to.

Conclusion

Choosing between LiveSwitch Cloud, LiveSwitch Server, and LiveSwitch Private Cloud depends on your specific needs, resources, and long-term goals. While LiveSwitch Cloud offers significant advantages in terms of scalability, ease of use, and reduced administrative overhead, it’s important to consider factors such as control, performance requirements, and long-term costs. Evaluate your organization’s priorities, technical capabilities, and growth projections to determine if LiveSwitch Cloud is the right fit for your needs.

At LiveSwitch, we understand that every organization’s journey is unique. Whether you’re just starting out, scaling rapidly, or looking to optimize an established system, we’re committed to finding the solution that best fits your needs. Our team is always ready to discuss your specific requirements and help you determine the most suitable approach, be it LiveSwitch Cloud, LiveSwitch Server, or LiveSwitch Private Cloud. We’re here to support you at every stage of your journey, ensuring you have the right tools to succeed!

If you would like to try out our platform, sign up for now for free through our 30-day trial.

Need assistance in architecting the perfect WebRTC application? Let our team help out! Get in touch with us today!