What is a hybrid cloud?

What is a hybrid cloud?

what is a hybrid cloud A hybrid cloud setup involves using a combination of on-premises data center, and public or private cloud space. This means some data will be kept on-site while the rest lives in the cloud, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. The concept has caught on, with businesses of all sizes making the move. A study by Rackspace and The London School of Economics and Political Science found that 60 percent of businesses surveyed are either considering a hybrid cloud platform or have already implemented one.

The benefits of hybrid cloud

The obvious benefits of a hybrid cloud setup, especially for SMBs, are enhanced capability and scalability, flexibility and cost efficiency. There are also other practical, real-world advantages such as having the capacity to deploy your service to market without delay or being constrained by your on-site IT resources. Multiple cloud services also improve reliability – a crucial quality in today’s digital economy.

What data goes where?

Where you deploy your data depends on several factors, principally your organisation’s needs – requirements that can change over time. There are also other considerations like your data’s security and confidentiality, which you’re entrusting to a third party if stored on a public cloud. You may also choose – or be legally required – to keep some sensitive data on-site, in which case the public cloud is not an option. Traditionally, sensitive data like legal, health and financial information, and sometimes proprietary information and valuable intellectual property, has been held on-site, while customer-facing data, email, and backups live on public cloud space. This is changing as public cloud space becomes more prevalent. In fact, one survey found that the average business runs 38% of their workload in the public cloud. This means you need to be vigilant about any data in a public cloud environment, and work with your provider so they know how you want your data managed.

Managing your data in the hybrid cloud

The idea of a hybrid cloud setup – combining on-premises and off-site services – is an increasingly popular option for organisations of all sizes. But you do need some careful planning to make this type of implementation work. There are a number of practical and technical challenges to overcome, such as deciding what data goes where, not to mention the security of your off-site data. Read our short guide to the different types of data you’re likely holding, and where it should be kept.

Migrate to a cloud ready operating system

Maximise your technology investments by updating your hardware and software at the same time, with the flexibility to migrate to the cloud. Set up future success with hybrid cloud and on-premise capabilities through a complete solution of Windows Server 2019 run on HPE ProLiant Gen10 Servers, powered by Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors. Simplified management tools help connect on-premise environments with Azure services, allowing flexibility to move services to the cloud when it fits business needs.

Doing the hybrid cloud right

Want to do the hybrid cloud right? Tick these boxes to ensure your hybrid cloud setup works seamlessly and is secure. Look to:
  • Get your data and applications integrated across all platforms.
  • Decide which data lives where – on-premises or off-site.
  • Ensure you have visibility of all your data.
  • Manage the security of all your data, particularly access and threat protection.
  • Stay on top of configuration management across all your environments.
  • Keep all your deployments compliant with local regulations.
As you can see, deciding which data lives where is only part of the challenge of a hybrid cloud setup. You need to be across a range of other aspects, including security, configuration, and compliance.

Is your business ready for the hybrid cloud future?

You might not know what the future will bring, but with the right technology platform, like the hybrid cloud  – you’ll be able to adapt and thrive.

Enquire with us today to prepare your business for the future

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