The question “should a company move to the cloud or not” seems like it is not a question anymore, Cloud is a reality for all organisations, a driver for business transformation and digital innovation. So the main challenge is not when companies should move to Cloud, but actually, what should be the models and strategy that is more suitable for each scenario.
Recently, I was invited by IDC to present our view about hybrid and multi-cloud adoption at the IDC Security & Cloud Roadshow, held at Porto this year. My focus was on presenting the most common reasons our clients are adopting that strategy, along with key advantages and challenges along the way.
There may be multiple reasons and different options when evaluating the difference between technology partners, and sometimes, deciding which way and with whom to proceed may be a hard choice. Nevertheless, and according to IDC, “By 2025, 55% of the G2000 will adopt multi-cloud platforms to enable active migration between hyperscalers to optimise costs, reduce vendor dependencies, and improve governance.” This quote serves as a compelling starting point for our exploration of the advantages of embracing a hybrid and multi-cloud strategy.
After many years of working closely with our customer, here are some of the most important reasons we found out why they prefer a hybrid & multi-cloud approach:
Better resilience & lower latency:
One of the primary advantages of adopting a hybrid and multi-cloud strategy is the enhanced resilience it provides. Companies are less vulnerable to infrastructure downtime risks associated with single-provider outages (on-prem or cloud). When relying solely on one provider, the consequences of their outages can be catastrophic for your business. With a multi-cloud or hybrid approach, companies can spread their services across different providers, reducing the impact of such incidents.
Multi-cloud scenarios allow geographical distribution and data redundancy further bolster the resilience. Critical applications and data are spread across multiple cloud environments, ensuring that the services remain available even in the face of unexpected events. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a localised service interruption, a hybrid and multi-cloud setup ensures that the operations continue without significant disruption.
Cost optimisation & compliance requirements:
Reducing costs while maintaining compliance is a constant challenge for different businesses. A hybrid and multi-cloud strategy offers an effective solution. Dynamic resource allocation enables businesses to optimise cloud investments, ensuring that companies pay only for what they use. This flexibility allows them to scale resources up or down based on the actual needs, ultimately reducing infrastructure and operational expenses.
Moreover, meeting compliance requirements can be a complex and expensive endeavour when relying solely on one provider. Different cloud service providers may excel in specific areas of compliance, and a multi-cloud approach allows companies to leverage the strengths of multiple providers, without incurring excessive expenses. Organisations can strike a balance between compliance and cost-efficiency, ensuring that the business operates within the necessary regulatory boundaries while still staying competitive.
Avoid vendor lock-in:
Vendor lock-in can be a significant concern for businesses relying solely on a single cloud provider. Switching providers or adopting new technologies becomes cumbersome and costly. A hybrid and multi-cloud strategy mitigates this risk by reducing companies dependency on a single vendor, and allow the teams to use a common technology across the ecosystem.
With multiple cloud providers at the disposal, companies gain enhanced flexibility. They have the freedom to select the best services from different providers, avoiding being locked into one provider’s ecosystem. This flexibility extends to technology choices and architecture decisions, allowing businesses to retain control, freedom, and choice in crafting its cloud infrastructure.
Tailored approach to rethink the cloud strategy:
A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works in today’s complex business landscape. A hybrid and multi-cloud strategy allows businesses to adopt a tailored approach to meet their specific needs. Companies can allocate workloads to the cloud providers that are best-fitted for their requirements, whether it’s due to compliance, regulation, performance needs, or cost considerations.
Customisation and flexibility are key benefits of a multi-cloud approach. As the business evolves and its needs change, it can adapt to companies cloud strategy accordingly. This adaptability ensures that businesses remain agile and responsive to evolving business demands. Consolidation and centralisation, where appropriate, can be integrated into the strategy, providing a balanced approach that combines the strengths of different cloud providers.
In the modern business landscape, cost-efficiency, improved-governance, resilience, and compliance are paramount concerns. A hybrid and multi-cloud strategy offers a path forward that addresses these challenges head-on. By spreading the infrastructure across multiple cloud providers, businesses enhance resilience, reduce costs, avoid vendor lock-in, and benefit from a tailored approach to meet its unique business requirements.
Businesses that embrace this strategy will position themselves for success in an increasingly competitive and dynamic environment. It’s time to embark on the hybrid and multi-cloud journey to optimise costs, improve governance, and ensure businesses’s future success.