Hybrid multicloud is the new normal
Gartner predicted, "By 2021, over 75% of midsize and large organizations will have adopted a multicloud and/or hybrid IT strategy." Their predictions have held, as shown by recent research conducted by Flexera showing that 78% organizations of all sizes are currently using a hybrid strategy (use of both public and private clouds).
This approach is also multicloud (use of more than one public cloud), as shown by this chart on cloud usage:
The adoption of hybrid multicloud infrastructure has been driven by the need to accelerate digital business. Due in part to the global pandemic, more and more of the world’s commerce and business activities are taking place online. Hybrid multicloud solutions enable organizations to deliver better user experience, accelerate innovation, strengthen security and improve business agility.
Why hybrid?
Although it has its own set of challenges, hybrid cloud is a compelling solution because it combines the best of both public and private clouds.
Data center or on-premises operations (private cloud) can lower latency, enable you to run legacy applications that can’t be offsite, and provide even greater measures of security. Public clouds are known for built-in innovation capabilities (e.g., AI and machine learning) and can be provisioned and scaled almost instantaneously.
An effective hybrid cloud combines the agility of the public cloud with the predictability of the private cloud, creating a number of advantages. Some include:
Scalability – The ability to easily spin up resources in a public cloud enables organizations to respond quickly to rapid business growth. Similarly, if less resources are needed, it’s possible to pull back.
Agility – Predictable workloads can be supported on-premises, potentially providing lower latency and cost efficiency, while the public cloud can offer the ability to support development and unanticipated needs.
Cost control – While management of cloud spend is an ongoing challenge, leveraging a hybrid cloud model does mean you don’t have to build your on-premises operations to accommodate peak loads. Instead, public resources can be added, as necessary. This offers extra value for businesses that are impacted by seasonal fluctuations.
Security and continuity – A hybrid cloud model provides an organization with more options on where to store sensitive data and how to ensure it is properly protected in case of a disaster.
Why hybrid multicloud?
Adding multicloud to the mix further benefits an organization. A multicloud model gives your customers the ability to leverage the unique core competencies offered by each provider. This not only helps with application development, it can also lead to cost savings because of improvements in efficiency.
Multicloud also reduces vendor dependency, mitigates risk, and can provide better applications portability.
The significance for IT providers
The customer need for hybrid multicloud infrastructure provides considerable opportunities for IT solution and service providers to obtain business, as most customers lack technical expertise across numerous clouds.
While the digital landscape continues to grow, use of public and private cloud will create the value-added benefits customer's desire. The advantages of scalability, agility, cost control, plus security and continuity are critical for the future of business development.
Get in touch with us to learn more about simplifying the delivery of hybrid multicloud solutions.
This article was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated for relevance.
