By Vikas Bhonsle, CEO, Crayon Software Experts India
Multicloud is the next step in the evolution of cloud computing. The decision-makers have understood that Multicloud has made its path prominently in the evolution of cloud computing. Multicloud is an approach, where instead of investing in a single cloud service, businesses can distribute their investment in different cloud providers on varied scales and enjoy benefits provided as per their needs. Through Multicloud, companies can now reap benefits from features of multiple cloud service providers like Google Cloud, Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, etc., rather than using single cloud provider services as traditionally. According to a survey by analysis and market research institute – Techconsult, around 51% of businesses today are adopting Multicloud to improve their agility and performance, whereas 35% are looking for reliability and safety from failure, and 33% are less reliant on a single provider to avoid vendor lock-in.
When it comes to a single cloud service provider, organizations are facing a whole range of challenges that are leading to a growing need for Multicloud solutions:
- Finding the Best Fit: Different cloud environments have different offerings. Each cloud environment is managed by its unique portal, APIs, and management processes. Cloud companies may also choose to change their offerings, and any sudden change may impact the user’s business. It is then rather difficult to judge which single cloud provider will be best suitable for a company. The right fit can be determined by individual metrics, individual apps, and individual business needs. This also means an unnecessary trade off and compromised choices.
- Security: When it comes to a single provider, their cloud security and compliance policies will have little or no customization or additional security. While cloud vendors may boast about their robust security architecture and protocols, the entire data is still at risk if the cloud is compromised. Security concerns have also been seen during data transfer from one cloud platform to another.
- Cost Optimization: With a single cloud service provider the developers and database administrators cannot benefit from a “self-service” experience, which allows them to quickly deploy their applications in their preferred cloud environment that would best support their applications. This leads to the low working performance of the applications and hence affects the ROI
Other factors for Multicloud adoption are faster speeds and protection against data access failures. With increasing data breach instances, storing data with just a single cloud service provider could turn fatal for businesses.
Organizations can better manage their operations with an end-to-end Multicloud networking approach that allows them to keep pace with market changes and enhance their operations, leading to better management and return on investment (ROI).
Multicloud environments give better visibility and control to businesses. Enterprises should consider the benefits offered by multiple cloud platforms before making a decision. The following features characterize a good cloud service which will help in achieving a better ROI:
- Flexibility: Multicloud offers businesses the ability to combine the best features of any platform from multiple cloud service providers to create a customized infrastructure that suits their business objectives.
Performance: A Multicloud strategy gives you complete control over the platform that provides the best performance, security, and productivity for each part of the business. - Availability: Even the largest cloud providers are vulnerable to failures. The data load can be distributed across multiple providers or multiple regions of a single provider using a Multicloud structure.
- Enhanced Risk Management: Risk management is a great benefit that comes with adopting Multicloud strategy. A Multicloud user can quickly switch to another cloud service provider or backup to a private cloud if one vendor experiences an infrastructure meltdown or an attack.
Multicloud is gaining traction in various businesses, as they help in the smooth working of the business operations. The company’s priorities are changing, as they are not just looking at the technology but also the business. They are looking for a good ROI from the cloud service providers that they are opting for their business needs.