The cloud is a relatively mature technology, and hybrid cloud strategies are not far behind. A new survey indicates that an astounding 82% of IT leaders have accepted the hybrid cloud, while 47% are building between two and three public IaaS (infrastructure as a service) clouds. A hybrid cloud, which is a combination of both public and private cloud resources in a single cloud environment, provides the best of both worlds. Multiple factors like the increased demand for cloud-based mobile apps, data-driven SaaS applications, and End User Computing (EUC), among others, have greatly influenced the requirement for cloud mobility.
Hybrid cloud strategies have gained the most popularity among businesses that are looking for scalable, secure, and customized solutions for their IT needs. Here are five reasons how a hybrid cloud strategy helps you take your cloud strategy up a notch, and add value to your business:
Flexibility and Agility
Choosing a hybrid cloud strategy is primarily motivated by the ability to transition between private and public clouds based on their efficiency and performance. The performance needs that can only be met by dedicated servers can be integrated into a cloud architecture. Public cloud services are incredibly useful for organizations with in-house development and testing teams when they need computing services for a brief period. The team’s ability to quickly scale up or down cloud servers, or even decommission them if the project fails to meet expectations, facilitates exploration and inspires creativity.
Workload Management
A hybrid cloud strategy is effective for cloud-mature businesses looking to maximize workload management. The hybrid cloud strategy permits the deployment of workloads to optimal locations. The mix of public and private clouds is decided based on the traffic and workload variations, such as workload predictability and consistency. For example, a B2C company with consistent weekday traffic that experiences an increase over a weekend or a holiday can benefit from the public cloud. Due to its elastic nature, a hybrid configuration that favours the public cloud can accommodate unforeseen traffic and workload spikes. The majority of workload allocation to the private cloud will be indispensable in the event of anticipated traffic and workload spikes. This further supports the organization’s scalability requirements.
Application and Data Mobility
In an increasingly dispersed world, the integration of numerous cloud providers alongside existing infrastructure has made data mobility and safety a top priority. The mobility of apps and data across public and private cloud environments is critical for controlling costs and resources. Hybrid cloud infrastructure enables enterprises to transfer data and apps on-demand to the best-suited cloud environment based on evolving business conditions.
Cost Savings
The pay-as-you-go price model of the public cloud allows businesses to pay only for the service, while the cloud service provider handles infrastructure, hardware, and maintenance expenses. This assists businesses in optimizing the transition from capital expenditure (CAPEX) to operational expenditures (OPEX) (OPEX). In addition, the company can continue to utilize its existing infrastructure investments. By balancing public and private resources, a hybrid cloud strategy can help reduce total infrastructure expenditures.
Better Control
A hybrid cloud strategy portfolio recognizes the prospects for multi-tenancy and the necessity for customized hardware to match the performance needs of a particular application. The allocation of resources based on where, when, and how they are required, as well as their scalability up or down, gives businesses ultimate control over their resources. Combining the personalization of the private cloud with the scalability of the public cloud is a powerful combination that businesses can fully leverage for innovation and commercial expansion.
Security and Compliance
In many large and medium-sized enterprises, different business processes require varying levels of security. Social media workflows in marketing, for instance, may require less protection than private and confidential records like customer account data and billing information, which require robust security. This is why many businesses choose to host their sensitive data, business processes, and business systems in certain departments on an internally managed private cloud. With increased security comes the capacity to comply with regulatory standards.
Ultimately, organizations with variable computing needs and traffic demands, as well as small- to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that must remain adaptable and quickly seize new possibilities, stand to gain the most from the majority of public cloud resources. On the other hand, businesses in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare, which require high levels of security, compliance adherence, and customized features, choose a bigger percentage of private cloud resources. Hybrid cloud solutions with the appropriate mix of public and private cloud environments provide a versatile choice for meeting specific business needs.
