Successfully implementing a multi-cloud strategy means overcoming the complexity of integrating and managing disparate solutions and standards across multiple clouds.
No one will deny that enterprise embrace of the cloud has been swift and sure. Cloud offers flexibility and scalability, efficient collaboration, business continuity, and much more.
Today, organizations looking to create an even more dynamic network are transforming their cloud landscapes once again. A new enterprise strategy – a multi-cloud, or hybrid cloud, approach – is quickly gaining a foothold in organizations of all sizes.
The fact is that organizations are increasingly mixing it up and using multiple cloud computing and storage services in a single network architecture. According to a recent Foundry (formerly IDG) survey of 850 IT decision-makers, only 16% reported that their organizations relied on a single cloud provider for their public cloud deployments.
Whether an organization is using more than one public cloud to deliver business services to its users, combining public and private cloud, or co-mingling multiple clouds with on-premise solutions, the benefits of a multi-cloud strategy are clear. Enterprises gain maximum flexibility to choose providers and cloud environments that meet a variety of organizational and customer needs while, at the same time, lessening the chance of vendor lock-in and ensuring better business continuity.
Multi-cloud ecosystems are complex, so they come with a wide range of challenges. Some of the most complex ones are related to network architecture and what happens when an organization attempts to take advantage of disparate solutions and standards across multiple clouds. Consider the following:
- Network management –Because each cloud provider offers its own native tools to monitor, manage and operate resources in its environment, you simply don’t have a consolidated, holistic view across your clouds. When you’re left to manage the cloud platforms with a full box of siloed tools specific to each of the cloud vendors with whom you’re working, management of a multi-cloud ecosystem becomes extremely complex if not downright impossible.
- Connectivity – When your organization embraces a multi-cloud environment, its connectivity must evolve from a simple direct connection between that organization and a single cloud to a much more complex model that also requires network connectivity within and between clouds. High latency, packet loss, network bandwidth and security exposure are common issues when managing a multiple cloud architecture. Creating a consistent architecture in all environments and finding the right network mix is critical if workloads are going to be able to move seamlessly between different cloud platforms and prevent against outages and other headaches for IT and your entire organization.
- Data hygiene – In multi-cloud architectures, increasing amounts of your critical data can be quickly distributed across public clouds, private clouds and even local servers across multiple geographies. Siloed environments make visibility difficult. Add in shadow IT and a too-often lack of employee training about how to handle data, and you open yourself to a slew of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, data leakage, privacy concerns and compliance risks.
Despite the challenges, forward-looking organizations with a digital-first approach continue to view investment in cloud transformation as a strategic enabler for their businesses. With this mindset, they are able to develop multi-cloud capabilities that actually move the needle.
To be honest, most companies reaping the benefits of a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud strategy recognize that they cannot do it internally. They understand that putting in place a multi-cloud management platform not only smooths the way for an effective digital transformation but also makes sure everything operates effectively post transformation.
The right platform does all the heavy lifting via operational tools that bring together every segment of the cloud and simplify essential areas like connectivity, network governance, production, analytics, automation, and more.
The future of cloud is multi-cloud. Setting your organization up for success now with the right infrastructure and cloud management platform puts you a step ahead of those still just thinking about it.
