Why Businesses are Embracing Hybrid Cloud

The hybrid cloud, through which companies use both private on-premise infrastructure and public cloud services, is changing the way that companies store data, deploy applications and otherwise shape their IT infrastructure. With public and private services communicating seamlessly, companies benefit from greater performance, lowered costs, improved security and a higher degree of control.

What the statistics say

Various reports and surveys support the idea that businesses are embracing hybrid cloud in high numbers, alongside a general switch to cloud computing, versus on-site infrastructure alone.

A RedShift Research survey in August 2014 showed that 89 per cent of respondents said deploying some sort of private cloud and hybrid infrastructure was a priority within the next 12 months.

The trend continued. A McAfee report shows that in 2016, survey respondents were expecting 80 per cent of their IT budget to be cloud-based within an average of 15 months, with many organizations using a Cloud First approach, where an internal service will only be deployed if there is no suitable cloud alternative. This Cloud First approach can be very helpful in determining how your company will switch to a hybrid cloud model, so keep it in mind for the future.

The McAfee report also notes that cloud services have shifted rapidly. While in 2015, most cloud architectures were predominately private, with only 19 per cent using the hybrid approach, in 2016, 57 percent of companies had adopted the hybrid model.

The RightScale 2017 State of the Cloud Report echoes these usage statistics, showing 95 per cent of respondents using the cloud, with 67 per cent using a hybrid model.

Statistics and reports also show why companies are choosing the hybrid model approach, and how it is benefiting these businesses. Frost & Sullivan notes that hybrid cloud is becoming popular with companies because it allows for flexibility and a quick response to market demands.

Tech Pro research from 2017 indicates that companies are interested in the hybrid cloud model because it is less expensive than a fully private approach, it aids in disaster recovery, and it avoids hardware costs while extending the current data center.

The Tech Pro report also shows that 46 per cent of respondents saw faster time to market or reduced time in deployment, 42 per cent saw positive reliability and high availability, 35 per cent had positive cost outcomes, and 31 per cent had positive ease of use outcomes.

A Shift in Approach

In its cloud computing planning guide, Gartner says that successful organizations have changed from asking if applications can be deployed or migrated to the public cloud, to asking what can’t be put in the cloud.

While this seems like a small change, it is actually key to the embrace of the hybrid cloud: companies are understanding that nearly anything and everything can be achieved through cloud computing, and are more likely to take advantage of these services.

Instead of waiting to see if a cloud service will present itself after a premise-based solution has already been chosen, many companies are using the Cloud First model and working to make cloud services the first choice every time, so long as it makes sense from a business standpoint.

However, as Gartner says, “Reality must play a role in this approach … Cloud First should not be interpreted as “cloud always.” There may be legitimate reasons why specific workloads should not be placed outside of an organization’s “four walls” or direct control.”

Instead of waiting to see if a cloud service will present itself after a premise-based solution has already been chosen, many companies are using the Cloud First model and working to make cloud services the first choice every time, so long as it makes sense from a business standpoint.

However, as Gartner says, “Reality must play a role in this approach … Cloud First should not be interpreted as “cloud always.” There may be legitimate reasons why specific workloads should not be placed outside of an organization’s “four walls” or direct control.”

How Can Your Company Embrace Hybrid Cloud?

Hybrid cloud is the way of the future, and your company should get on board.

Gartner has recommendations for companies who are new to this approach, explaining that business should start building a Cloud First strategy immediately, making public cloud services “the primary, prioritized and promoted deployment model for all new business processes, workloads or applications” while continuously evolving the cloud application sustainability model to ensure that anything that can be on the cloud, is on the cloud.

For the private cloud aspect of the hybrid model, Gartner says, “Choose the level of private cloud that is right for you. Focus on the most frequently provisioned workloads, where agility is required. Select virtualization automation (VA) and public cloud services rather than building a fully featured private cloud.”

Having a managed cloud service can be the perfect way to ensure that you embrace the hybrid cloud in a manner that is right for your company, using the private and public clouds as needed and as fits. A managed cloud service helps your business prioritize and promote cloud deployment while managing workloads and ensuring agility.

The numbers show that most companies are adopting a cloud approach in some capacity, and that hybrid cloud computing offers many benefits. When you use the expert services of a managed cloud services to design, build, and deploy your hybrid solution, you will find that there are positive impacts in all areas of your company. It is no wonder that so many businesses worldwide are making the switch to hybrid!

The best hybrid cloud setup is one that optimizes connectivity and performance, tailored to your company’s specific needs.

Whether you require some data and information to remain privately stored on your on-premise infrastructure, specific data recovery and disaster-proofing measures, or another custom solution, a managed cloud service ensures that you have exactly what you need in place–and nothing more or less–to make the most of your budget and your resources.

More information on all things hybrid can be found on our hybrid cloud services page. For specific enquiries or questions, contact us here.