In the realm of modern enterprise IT, the complexity and diversity of infrastructure can be overwhelming. Organizations must consider the ever-expanding options of datacenter technologies, private and public cloud deployments, and even edge locations. Data volumes are exploding, millions of new applications are coming online, and digital transformation initiatives continue to drive budgetary and operational expectations. All of this can make IT infrastructure increasingly complex, inefficient, and costly to maintain.
Here's the good news: It doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Modern organizations are looking to a new operational paradigm to accommodate the rapid changes in today’s IT infrastructure and computing and storage needs. It’s an approach that emphasizes a common operating model across IT environments, comprehensive data governance, optimization of IT skillsets, and the agility to adapt workload placement in response to changing conditions.
It’s called hybrid multicloud—and when done right, it can completely change the game.
What Is Hybrid Multicloud and Why Is It the Answer?
Hybrid multicloud is an IT operating model that integrates on-premises and private cloud deployments with multiple public cloud platforms. It allows organizations to run operations across these different environments as if they made up a single, unified system. IT can move data and applications back and forth across environments as needed and place workloads where they work best, even if what’s best changes over time.
Today’s organizations are increasingly choosing a hybrid multicloud strategy to reduce the complexity of so many environments and to increase IT agility and flexibility while reducing overall costs. It’s a smart way to leverage all the advantages of on-premises and cloud environments and minimize the downsides.
Hybrid multicloud is swiftly becoming the new mainstream approach to IT. Industry surveys reveal that a majority of enterprises now use multiple IT infrastructures and public cloud deployments, often out of necessity rather than choice. No IT environment is ideal for every workload, and public cloud providers offer differing sets of capabilities and tools.
Having multiple public cloud deployments, however, isn’t necessarily taking a multicloud approach. If they’re siloed from each other, you can’t move data and applications across different public clouds without refactoring or retooling. Workload placement matters—it can even be a competitive advantage, so making it simple to move workloads where you want them at any time can be a real differentiator.
That sort of flexibility and freedom only comes with true hybrid multicloud. It means that all of your public cloud deployments are integrated and can work together with your private cloud and on-premises datacenter as well.
Hybrid Multicloud Calls for a New, Simpler Approach to IT Operations
As organizations shift to hybrid multicloud strategies, they are rethinking traditional IT operations. No longer siloed, their IT environments can now work as one. Automation across the entire infrastructure can make daily tasks more efficient and relieve the burden on IT staff. By reducing the need for human IT management, teams are freed to focus on more innovative and revenue-earning projects. Hybrid multicloud also reduces the need for multiple cloud experts.
Scalability is increased with hybrid multicloud. Creating new computing resources to accommodate a surge in business can be fast and easy without requiring excessive IT oversight.
Hybrid multicloud can also help streamline development of applications. With the right platform, developers can build applications that will run in any of your environments without the need for extra coding or refactoring.
When IT environments offer a common operating model across edge, data center and public cloud, it’s possible to implement AI-driven operations and automation across the entire ecosystem. A unified operating platform that offers a standardized process for running applications and data across various infrastructure can also increase infrastructure resiliency and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime if a hardware component fails.
Hybrid multicloud’s unified platform can greatly simplify IT operations and help you streamline processes. It can reduce complexity in many functions, including provisioning, operational management, self-service, resource allocation, cybersecurity, data protection, disaster recovery, and more.
Visibility Is Key
With hybrid multicloud, the unified operating platform provides comprehensive visibility into each environment and system, across on-premises datacenters, private cloud, co-located datacenters, branch locations, public clouds, and the edge. You should be able to see where all of your workloads are running and whether they’re still needed or could run elsewhere at lower cost.
Visibility into private and public cloud costs is also important. A good hybrid multicloud solution will make it simple to see exactly what you’re paying for each environment so you can forecast expenditures and create budgets more accurately.
Having the Right Tools Makes a Big Difference
Today, organizations have many choices when it comes to hybrid multicloud management platforms, and each has its unique features and capabilities. When considering a solution for your organization, look for one that delivers a comprehensive operating model that addresses all aspects of hybrid multicloud challenges, including a range of services, choice, and broad partnerships. This holistic approach provides the flexibility and agility that modern businesses require.
Choosing the right solution can be your first step to hybrid multicloud success. It’s an IT approach that is quickly becoming essential for modern businesses. By unifying all of your on-premises and cloud environments, you can make operations more efficient, save money, simplify management, enhance business agility, and increase your competitive edge. Get more out of your IT investments with the smart approach to streamlined operations.