On-Premises
On-premises (often shortened to on-prem) refers to a computing model where software, hardware, and infrastructure are hosted and managed locally within an organization's own physical facilities, such as data centers or server rooms. This contrasts with cloud-based models where resources are provided over the internet by third-party providers. Organizations using on-premises solutions maintain full control over their IT environment, including security, maintenance, and upgrades.
Developers should learn about on-premises when working in industries with strict data sovereignty, security, or compliance requirements, such as finance, healthcare, or government, where sensitive data must be kept within physical boundaries. It's also relevant for legacy systems, high-performance computing needs with low-latency demands, or organizations with significant existing infrastructure investments. Understanding on-premises helps in hybrid cloud strategies, where some workloads remain on-prem while others migrate to the cloud.