Is it indecision? or is a hybrid multi-cloud infrastructure the best approach
Are organisations being indecisive or is a hybrid multi-cloud infrastructure the best approach for them? You have to remember; organisations need to continuously innovate to stay relevant. IT is often called upon to balance new initiatives that transform their company’s business model, deliver innovative apps, and ensure everything is secured, all the while dealing with budget constraints, staffing shortages, and time pressures that make it challenging to stay ahead of the curve.
So, in many cases building a hybrid cloud infrastructure and freeing your business from vendor lock-in and legacy infrastructure vendors while gaining the adaptability, security, and a consistent operating model you need to thrive.
By knowing the various elements and core considerations that go into an effective hybrid cloud strategy, you can plan for a future where your business uses hybrid cloud technology to the fullest.
Key Takeaways:
- A comprehensive hybrid cloud strategy starts with the right cloud platform (sometimes referred to as a cloud operating system (OS) as the foundation.
- Modernising your on-premises legacy systems to match the new infrastructure provides a consistent operating model and maximises hybrid cloud potential.
- Public clouds invariably make up a portion of any hybrid cloud environment, however choosing which provider to use should be based on several factors that align to the business and IT objectives, including platform capabilities, regional availability, and cost.
What are the benefits of adopting hybrid multi-cloud infrastructure?
Hybrid multi-clouds are made up of on-premises datacenters and edge environments (considered private clouds) and one or more public clouds. The proportional split between on-premises and public cloud environments will differ for every organisation based on business needs. It is also important to note that hybrid multi-cloud is different from multi-[cloud]vendor, the latter of which simply implies more than one public cloud is in use, but without any consistency of IT operations.
A core benefit of hybrid multi-clouds is that they enhance IT efficiency and business productivity by making it possible to leverage resources across multiple clouds. Business applications and data should be deployed where they are required and in the location that makes most sense, such as by placing applications and data close to their consumers.
Keeping predictable or high-performance applications on-premises in a private cloud can help reduce overall cloud costs, while hybridizing with the public cloud grants IT agility and flexibility to access vast cloud computing power during times of high demand. This is when shifting workloads to optimise for change cost, seasonal demand, or performance needs can be invaluable.
The public cloud model is known for its agility, which grew in importance during the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and the search for IT talent. But the public cloud model is coming under scrutiny now that economic tightening is forcing customers to reevaluate cloud spend that can become surprisingly high. At a time when organisations are trying to keep up with changing dynamics by being more flexible, more agile, and overall trying to achieve more with less, leveraging a similar operating model across on-premise and public cloud environments will enable their IT teams to scale more efficiently.
The benefits of using a hybrid cloud infrastructure include:
- Flexibility stemming from the simplicity of a consistent operating model with a common software stack across the cloud and single control plane minimises infrastructure management silos and opens the capability to simply move workloads between on-premises or cloud locations without modification.
- Convenience of end-user self-service via a marketplace-like environment leverages application automation for deployment, scale out and scale back on-demand.
- Time-to-value by speeding-up cloud adoption through the migration and deployment of existing applications and data.
- Total-Cost-of-Ownership savings through increased efficiency and elimination of resource micro-waste, dynamic cloud bursting, and flexible cost models that includes pay-as-you-go and portable Nutanix licenses between on-premises and cloud environments.
- Freedom from cloud lock-in by adding multiple clouds from multiple providers to your network and moving/deploying workloads across the hybrid cloud as required.
In a recent Enterprise Cloud Index survey, 94% of ECI respondents agreed with the statement that “one place to run and manage all applications and data across clouds is ideal for my organisation.” This reveals the need for a robust cloud strategy to reap those benefits to make the hybrid multi-cloud environment work to its full potential.
One of the leading platforms to deliver a hybrid environment is Nutanix® hybrid multi-cloud platform, it enables organisations to run applications in private clouds (datacenters and edge) or multiple public clouds, all operated as a single cloud. Its natively integrated networking between private and public clouds enables IT operators to seamlessly manage and migrate VMs, containers, and applications which makes it possible for an organisation to pivot quickly in response to changing demands.
Adopt the best hybrid cloud infrastructure solution
You need the right cloud framework as well as a modernisation roadmap and public cloud solution that works well with your framework. Making the switch to a multi-cloud model can satisfy those needs while also reinvigorating and even future-proofing your organisation.
Learn More!
If you have any questions, please contact one of our Cloud experts to assist you understanding if a hybrid multi-cloud approach is right for your organisation, and if adopting a hybrid cloud infrastructure on a platform like Nutanix is the right direction to go in.
Contact us on – asktheexpert@enterprise-solutions.ie
As Marketing Manager, Conor takes joy in bringing news, blogs and industry innovations to Enterprise Solutions readership. He has a keen interest in all new innovative software and devices.
