A recent survey revealed that cloud-based technology was found to encourage expansion into new markets. That means building net new product/service revenue, mitigating business/regulatory risk and providing better sustainability in support of environmental issues.
In fact, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are rapidly adopting cloud technology and opting to use multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environments in lieu of single-cloud environments.
Are you looking to increase your business’ IT agility? Read on to learn more about multi-cloud management and hybrid cloud solutions, the differences between them and how to decide which could be better for your business.
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A multi-cloud solution is comprised of two or more public cloud services. The key to a multi-cloud solution is that only public clouds are used. Never private clouds.
Each of the public clouds is typically chosen based on the cloud’s specific service or function. This diversity in public cloud use can also be leveraged to encourage price competition between vendors and lower contract costs.
A hybrid cloud solution contains two or more cloud services; however, these services are a mixture of private and public clouds. There must be at least one public and one private cloud to form a hybrid cloud solution.
Private clouds can be hosted on-site at the business’ location or at a third-party data center. Proprietary data is commonly stored on a private cloud and then synchronized with a business’ public cloud(s) to form a complete business cloud solution.
In addition, a multi-cloud solution can transform into a hybrid cloud solution by adding one or more private clouds to the business’ public clouds.
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Cloud solutions are used by businesses every day. Some common uses:
Cloud solution use is on the rise, but cloud waste is also a concern. You should only pay for what you need. That’s why it’s important to review your cloud use annually and edit your strategy, if necessary, for optimal productivity and cost-effective use.
Multi-cloud solutions typically have each cloud designated to perform a particular task and entire applications can be spread between multiple clouds. These types of cloud solutions tend to be highly scalable and cost-effective. However, having a solution comprised of all public clouds means that there is no integration available between different cloud providers.
Hybrid cloud solutions are formed of private and public clouds that are connected to create a single integrated infrastructure for a business. These clouds work together and are managed by either an internal IT team or an outsourced managed IT provider. Private clouds are ideal for storing sensitive data or creating customized applications. Public clouds can be leveraged for specialized technologies. Hybrid cloud solutions can be expensive to set up, but they also offer more flexibility than multi-cloud solutions.
When evaluating cloud solution options for your business, remember that the options that best fit your business today may not be the same options that fit in the future. Cloud provider options change frequently. That’s why it’s a best practice to reevaluate your options annually for the best fit. Your research may show that the market (or your business) has changed and it’s best to switch cloud providers or even migrate some of your data from a public cloud to a private cloud.
Cross-platform consistency is also important for your clouds to achieve a synchronous, enterprise-wide connection to simplify employee workload. But in general, having access to more than just a single cloud is optimal for business continuity.
There’s a cloud solution for every organization and Elevity is here to help you identify the right technology to empower your team and transform your business. We’ll meet you where you are and help you create the right cloud strategy to encourage business growth.
From a single application server to an entire data center, we can architect, implement and manage your cloud server and access environment. With Elevity to guide you, you’ll become an organization that can cloud confidently while increasing revenue and reducing costs. Let us show you how easy it is to get started.
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