Hybrid Cloud Advantages

By Michael Kedik

When it comes to developing a strong cloud strategy, one size really does not fit all. Understanding the benefits–and drawbacks–of the public cloud and private cloud helps explain why so many organizations are taking a hybrid approach to cloud computing. Here are the basics:

 

• Public cloud providers like Google Platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and smaller, full-service cloud providers offer a multi-tenant environment with shared computing resources. Your public cloud provider takes over the management and maintenance of the data center that hosts your data. This allows you great scalability and flexibility, but you have minimal control over availability or security.

• Private cloud is typically on-premises, dedicated to a single organization and usually run by the business. It’s your own environment, so you can set your own custom security and have total control over mission-critical workloads. However, total cost of ownership can be much more expensive and your scalability can be limited by your own infrastructure.

In a hybrid environment, though both clouds remain separate, independent entities, they work together seamlessly and communicate through an encrypted connection and technology that makes data portable.

 

There are a variety of reasons to consider migrating to a hybrid cloud platform. When planned for and implemented correctly, the hybrid platform can offer some unique advantages:

 

1. Flexibility

Flexibility is the number one reason most organizations adopt the hybrid cloud approach. The ability to move between the private and public cloud allows for a more agile IT environment as opposed to being locked in to one model. Hybrid cloud solutions make it easier to add new hardware, software and services when and where you need them. Business needs are constantly evolving – a private environment allows your IT staff to build and test new software using their existing IT resources and architecture. Hybrid provides portability – applications can be moved across clouds or your data center, with minimal downtime and re-structuring.

 

 2. Cost-Effectiveness

By leveraging the hybrid cloud efficiencies, businesses can see a reduction in total cost of ownership and improve cost efficiency. First off, there’s little need to replace legacy technology – a hybrid cloud model can bridge the gap between your old and new systems. As your business grows, data center demands intensify. Excess strain on data centers creates a decrease in efficiency. Instead of upgrading your equipment and storage, you can save money by simply offloading non-essential tasks onto a cloud-storage system and dedicate on-site resources to critical tasks.

 

 3. Improved Security

Sensitive data and information can be safely stored on a private cloud while using the public cloud to run apps that require that same data. Securing personal information is always a priority, however this level of security is also ideal for organizations such as healthcare providers or accounting firms with customers who rely on them to keep their sensitive data protected. With hybrid cloud, you can store secure customer data on a dedicated server, and leverage the high performance and scalability of the cloud to seamlessly do business and perform online payment transactions all within an agile and secure environment.

 

Successful hybrid cloud migration requires planning and coordination to minimize business disruption. We’re here to help you manage all these details seamlessly and determine which cloud model is right for your business with our cloud IT services. Our cloud experts can help you tap into the potential of your apps and data through a thorough cloud readiness assessment.

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