5 IT Trends that will shape the next 5 years (Part 3): Multi Cloud & Hybrid Cloud

Cloud computing has been increasing continuously in both volume and importance for years, and there is now a range of proven and established cloud concepts such as public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. These concepts will be used in a much more parallel and combined structure: as multi cloud or even as real hybrid cloud.

Multi cloud

The parallel or hybrid use of private cloud and public cloud was established in the last years, and the trend is progressing to include multicloud. A crucial contributor to this latest development is that the large cloud providers – with Microsoft (Azure), Amazon (Web Services) and Google (Cloud Platform) at the front of the pack – are now enabling their customers to use several providers simultaneously in order to have the opportunity to benefit from their respective advantages.
It is important to avoid dependency on one single provider, a situation known as vendor lock. It is already apparent that companies are using different cloud providers for different workloads; they are relying on a dual vendor strategy as a minimum, with some companies even opting for a multi-vendor strategy.
The key issue in successfully implementing multicloud strategies will be how to connect the cloud silos. Partnerships between the service providers and all the leading public cloud providers will be crucial in order to be able to advise customers holistically and to guarantee the best combination in each specific case.

Real hybrid cloud platforms

Until very recently, hybrid cloud platforms often looked like a company’s own private cloud connected with public cloud services. The systems were different, i.e. they were connected with each other but were independent. It was not possible to provide established, integrated products that had market relevance and offered a seamless combination of public and private cloud. The technology did not exist.
But it does now! Since its launch of Azure, Microsoft has given companies the chance to run a real hybrid cloud strategy. With Azure Stack, the second largest IaaS provider has brought to the market a platform product which enables workloads to be moved smoothly from a company’s own private cloud into the public cloud, and vice versa.
This all means that competent cloud consultants and cloud operation experts are required in order to capitalize on these innovations as quickly as possible.

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