In recent years, more and more businesses - including behemoths like Netflix and Uber - are embracing blue-sky thinking by getting on board with the hybrid cloud revolution. By taking advantage of both public cloud services and private cloud infrastructure, businesses can gain the best of both worlds in terms of cost optimization, data mobility and resource flexibility.
For many, being able to access the cost savings of public cloud but with the superior security of private cloud is the secret sauce to keeping their business competitive.
No longer a short-term fix, hybrid cloud is
now a first choice for companies looking to supersize flexibility, performance and security while keeping costs down. While there may still be some challenges, it's becoming increasingly clear that this combination of public and private cloud is destined to be the future for forward-thinking businesses. In this article, we’re going to be looking at how and why hybrid cloud is fast becoming a key part of the modern business’s IT infrastructure.
Why Businesses Like Yours Are Heading For The Hybrid Cloud
It’s a simple fact that, in the modern world, most businesses rely heavily on their IT services; whether you’re an e-commerce brand on Etsy or a colossal corporation. Keeping this in mind, it’s no surprise that IT requirements differ as widely as the businesses that they serve. As companies come under increasing pressure to survive while navigating cybersecurity, compliance & regulations and, in many cases, legacy systems,
hybrid cloud adoption is stepping up to the plate to offer more options.
Far from a compromise, this smart way of using the cloud brings all your business planets into alignment by delivering the best possible solution for every single one of your IT requirements. As well as flexibility, scalability and cost savings, the hybrid model also offers a level of protection against ‘putting all your eggs in one basket’ by relying on just one vendor.
Good News - But Don’t Let It Cloud Your Judgement
We’ve mentioned some of the very real benefits of hybrid cloud but, as the saying goes, into every life some rain must fall and, in this spirit, let’s look at some of the potential drawbacks to this model.
Cloud complexity
It’s important to note that flexibility and cost savings can sometimes be counteracted by complexity hurdles. With the hybrid model, you’re juggling multiple environments as well as two or more providers and keeping all of these balls in the air will require organization, planning and regular reviews.
Keeping your data visible
Data stored in multiple clouds is subject to the same compliance rules and regulations as the singular method and it’s your responsibility to ensure that you're able to provide evidence that all your data is stored correctly and safely. You’ll also have to rethink the ways in which you monitor usage, security and performance across different environments which can be challenging. All of this means that, before tapping into the potential of hybrid, you’ll need to figure out the tools and strategies you’re going to need to make it work.
Meet The New Tech That’s Shaking Up The Cloud
The rise and rise of hybrid is being driven by some serious new tech and this includes:
Containerization - Tools such as Docker and Kubernetes help you to make light work of shifting workloads between environments without risking a loss of integrity - something that is proving to be a game-changer for businesses using hybrid set-ups.
Edge computing - You may already be familiar with this term which describes the action of shifting data sources and storage closer to users - and this very much comes into its own with hybrid cloud.
AI and automation - AI is everywhere these days - quite literally - and smart tools are key in helping to manage hybrid environments from managing workloads to predictive performance tuning.
Technologies like these are very much putting their stamp on the hybrid cloud model; making it efficient, scalable, dynamic and secure.
Is It Safe?
This is, of course, one of the most common - and most important - questions surrounding the hybrid cloud model; and for good reason. These days, businesses are subject to a number of different data regulations including
GDPR and HIPAA, and incorrect cloud storage can lead to sky-high penalties. While it's a smart idea to keep sensitive data private and everything else public, you need to ensure that your security strategy is strong and wide enough to cover the whole kit and caboodle.
When handled right, a well-structured hybrid cloud system can strengthen the security of your critical assets whilst saving you money; but you do need to ensure that you’ve got all your ducks in a row in terms of clear access controls, transparent audit paths, solid encryption policies and a bulletproof recovery plan. Think of your cloud security as a blanket responsibility across the board, rather than a patchwork of different models and you won’t go too far wrong.
The Hybrid Model In Action
I know what you’re thinking; sounds great but is it really right for my business? It’s a fair question as different types of organizations have different needs so, let’s take a look:
The finance industry
If you’re working in the world of finance, security, accuracy and confidentiality will almost certainly be your buzzwords. The good news is that hybrid cloud is a perfect fit for finance as it can help to power analytics and customer-centric applications with speed and efficiency while keeping your sensitive customer data safely locked down.
Healthcare
When protecting patient confidentiality is of utmost importance - but so is innovation, hybrid cloud has the cure. Combining the speed and low cost of AI driven diagnostic tools in the public cloud with ultra private data centers for patient records, hybrid cloud is ideal for the healthcare industry.
Manufacturing
The cog that keeps the wheels of industry turning can also benefit from hybrid cloud - particularly when lined with edge computing. An example might be a factory that uses a private provider to collect data while the public cloud is accessed for predictive maintenance and analysis of performance.
Government organizations
Even traditionally stuffy government agencies are hopping onto hybrid these days; partly through necessity due to a large number of legacy systems. Hybrid is helping these agencies to modernize without losing data integrity or control.
As you can see, far from only being for niche tech companies, hybrid cloud can revolutionize any kind of business in any kind of industry.
The Future’s Bright - And Hybrid
Far from a passing fad, the hybrid cloud model is showing itself to be resilient and future-proof and, here, we’re taking a sneak peek at what the future might hold for cloud computing:
- Cloud-native everything - As time goes by and more legacy systems are laid to rest, hybrid cloud will focus on enabling modern portable and scalable architectures which have been created specifically for the cloud.
- AI - Yep, there’s no getting away from it; AI will continue to dominate through self-optimizing structures, better resource allocation and smart systems for preventative maintenance - all supported by hybrid cloud systems.
- Multi-cloud strategies - More and more organizations will catch on to the benefits of not just mixing cloud types but also providers, helping them to avoid lock-in and find the best price and solution for their needs.
Cloud services will, without a doubt, keep pushing boundaries to provide systems that effortlessly blend services within business systems and infrastructures.
How To Prepare For A Hybrid Cloud Future
We’ve already given you a fair amount to digest but the takeaway is that hybrid cloud is here and it’s how you deal with it that matters. In this section, we’ll share our tips on getting your company ready for the cloud revolution:
Public or private - First work out where each of your datasets belongs by mapping out your systems categorized by sensitivity and performance.
The who’s who - For your hybrid model to work, you need to ensure that you have staff who have an in-depth knowledge of traditional infrastructure and cloud-native tools and how they can work together.
Picking the perfect partner - As with anything else, choosing the right vendor should never be taken lightly. Do your research to find partners who embrace hybrid through open standards and interoperability rather than those who are just trying to lock you into their ecosystem.
Flexibility - Your hybrid set-up is an ever-evolving creature and, as such, constant monitoring and the ability to adapt is essential.
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Getting Your Head In The Cloud For Security And Scalability
It’s time to stop thinking of hybrid cloud as something new - because it’s not. In reality, this model has now been powering businesses as a concept since 2011. Very much the new normal for companies looking to balance control, agility, flexibility and security, hybrid cloud is forging a path to the future - but, as we’ve mentioned, it doesn’t work alone. To make this work for your business, you need smart planning, talented employees and an absolute commitment to evolving your business along with the tech. If you can tick all of these boxes, hybrid cloud will reward you with the ability to innovate and scale while meeting compliance demands and saving money.
