The Cloud is Starting to Feel a Lot Like Streaming TV and Cloud Repatriation is the Answer for Many

Remember when Netflix was cheap, commercial-free, and even let you share your password?

TL;DR: The Cloud Isn’t Broken; It’s Just Not Always the Best Fit Anymore

If your cloud bill has become unpredictable, performance isn’t what it used to be, or you’re just tired of getting nickel-and-dimed, it might be time to rethink your setup.

Fast forward to today: prices are up, ads are back, and the original promise of simplicity has been replaced with frustration. Sound familiar?

That’s exactly what we’re seeing with cloud providers.

What started as a cost-effective, flexible alternative to on-prem infrastructure has morphed into a tangled web of rising prices, hidden fees, and performance tradeoffs. Much like the streaming wars, the cloud’s honeymoon phase seems to be over.

Here’s what’s changed:

1. Prices Are Up (Again) Cloud providers have steadily increased pricing across the board. Whether it’s compute, storage, or bandwidth, you're likely paying more now for the same usage, sometimes a lot more.

2. Egress Fees: The New “Cable Box Rental” Want to move your data out of the cloud? Get ready for egress charges. It’s like paying to cancel your subscription or return your hardware, and it’s no longer just pennies. These fees can crush your budget if you're running data-intensive workloads.

3. Slower Performance, Less Control You’re sharing resources with thousands of others. And when performance matters (like backups, restores, or latency-sensitive applications), public cloud isn’t always your best bet.

4. Security Assumptions Are Being Rewritten Cloud isn't inherently insecure, but it isn’t inherently safe either. Increasingly, organizations are realizing that “shared responsibility” often means “shared risk.” With growing compliance pressures, visibility and control matter more than ever.

What’s the Alternative? Cloud Repatriation!

Just like many viewers are ditching streaming for live TV with antennas (no buffering, no subscriptions), companies are now looking to reclaim control of their infrastructure through cloud repatriation.

At ArcShift, we help organizations migrate workloads from the cloud back to secure, high-performance on-prem environments, saving money, improving speed, and tightening security.

Want to explore your options? Let’s talk, take the first step toward regaining control.

SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION

**Disclaimer: All product names, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product, and service names used in this blog are for identification and commentary purposes only and do not imply endorsement.