Multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, what does it all mean?

Multi-Cloud entails the mix and match of multiple cloud services from different vendors, often to meet the different workload needs of different departments in an organization.

“Multi-cloud is one wherein you mix and match cloud services from different providers, often to meet specific workload needs, but not connected or orchestrated between them,” says Radhesh Balakrishnan, general manager, OpenStack, Red Hat. On the other hand, hybrid cloud means “a mix of on-premises private cloud and third-party public cloud with orchestration between these two,” says Balakrishnan.

Multi cloud is more of a strategy used to obtain the most efficacious solutions to business challenges, while hybrid cloud refers more specifically to the specific tech portfolio. In addition, multi-cloud is inherently multi-vendor.

“[A] multi-cloud strategy allows an organization to meet specific workload or application requirements – both technically and commercially – by consuming cloud services from several cloud providers,” Balakrishnan says. “Not every department, team, business function, or application or workload will have similar requirements in terms of performance, privacy, security, or geographic reach for their cloud. Being able to use multiple cloud providers that meet their various application and data needs is critical as cloud computing has become more mature and mainstream.”

A multi cloud strategy, and the required IT infrastructure to support such a strategy, allows an organization to meet specific workload requirements that they would not necessarily be able to achieve using only one cloud provider. Often different departments or teams have widely differing needs in terms of performance, security, or geography for their cloud needs. The choice of multiple vendors allows organizations to greatly enhance their IT portfolios and thus prevent vendor lock-in, prevent failures and downtime, or have the chance to sample the latest innovations before your competitors.

Multi-cloud, like any significant IT undertaking, is not without it’s challenges, which is why it is imperative that CIOs need to be cognizant of the importance of choosing the right vendors and doing the initial migration, especially if making a significant change from a traditional data center to a multi-cloud environment. The advice of a digital transformation consultant can be quite helpful in choosing vendors and thoroughly understanding potential platforms in terms of pricing, security and compliance.

If you are interested in learning more about the applications and benefits of cloud infrastructure reach out to us today at 206-250-6625.