By Esmée Hardwick-Slack
Due to cyber-security concerns, many firms are migrating applications and data away from the public cloud in favour of a mix of on-premises and private cloud environments. Hybrid cloud technology is therefore becoming a more popular solution.
What is hybric cloud technology?
A hybrid cloud is a combination of on-premises and off-premises (or cloud-based) IT infrastructure platforms. The hybrid solution allows a business to run applications on multiple platforms. This increases efficiency and allows more flexibility as some software may only be available as a cloud based product.
What are the benefits of a hybrid cloud?
In addition to allowing firms to choose the right platform for the right systems, a hybrid cloud platform can also create cost savings as well as improved IT performance. These days employees or even your customers may require a cloud based IT solution, however you may want to keep your company financials and client data on-premises, rather than in the cloud, in order to reduce cyber-risks.
Cloud based solutions also enable your team to be more productive. It can be hard to access systems and files when out on the road. A hybrid cloud solution can allow your mobile team members to access the data they need when they are out and about – essential in today’s “always online” business environment.
What are the disadvantages of moving to a hybrid cloud?
In some ways, the shift to a hybrid cloud solution is a no-brainer. However, it does have its challenges. For example, your business may be used to working with a single, on-premises IT solution which is serviced by a single IT support company that looks after your network, your hardware and your various software systems.
Moving to a hybrid cloud solution may mean that your business needs to work with multiple external IT companies in order to support, manage and protect your on-premises and cloud-based systems. This adds complexity and needs to be carefully managed in order to make it work.
However, if you manage the implementation properly, your firm will benefit from having a more flexible IT infrastructure. As your business grows, you can use your cloud-based technology to scale up without the expense of buying in additional on-premises servers. This can also help you to keep your operational costs in check.
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Does your business use a remote cloud server, or is your data kept in-house? Would you consider moving to a hybrid solution? We’d love to hear from you, leave a comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin pages.
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