It can sometimes be easy to understate the importance of cloud computing and its role in changing the tech landscape. Whilst other aspects of the digital transformation triumvirate (cloud, IoT and AI & analytics) are arguably more tangible in their effect, the scale for connectivity and optimisation across an enterprise is severely restricted without an integrated infrastructure wherein data can be stored and accessed. Hybrid cloud takes this revolutionary technology one step further by allowing companies to synthesize aspects of multiple cloud offerings (both private and public) and create a bespoke solution which addresses their specific needs.
With fewer companies choosing to maintain their own expensive data centres, the wide availability of public cloud offerings - such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and AWS, amongst others - means that most businesses will be able to secure a package that meets their basic storage needs. Although the lists of features for each provider can stretch into the hundreds, corporations are able to select a cloud which has specialised industry applications (IBM Cloud’s Watson for IoT) or a general spread of functions. However, if a company’s data requirements necessitate more than what one provider can accommodate, hybrid cloud becomes a very attractive possibility. Investing in the on-premises development of a private cloud can be advantageous for those with the resources to make it happen. If this is a possibility, companies need only have a sufficient WAN (wide area network) connection in order to join their selected private and public clouds.
Eran Brown, CTO of Infinidat EMEA, believes that businesses looking to pursue hybrid cloud should do so via careful evaluation of the agility, flexibility, speed-to-market and cost efficiency offered by each option. “Companies will need to draw a strategic line between how and when they use public and private cloud for data storage. It will be impacted by the quantity of ‘legacy’ data to be stored, as well as what data companies want to ‘own’ or store locally; not all data is suitable for storage in public clouds.” What is required, then, is a frank technological assessment of what benefits they are hoping to extract from hybrid cloud, a defined plan for where and why certain data will be stored and an understanding of the financial ramifications. “Choosing between on-premises and public clouds should not be driven by hype,” Brown enthuses, “but rather what will enable units at a cost that is acceptable for the long-term viability of the business.”
The economics of data storage, particularly public cloud offerings, can be complicated and it’s imperative that consumers educate themselves on the short-term and long-term benefits of each cloud’s payment plan.
