“Behind every cloud is another cloud.”

The Wizard of Oz star Judy Garland’s quote also extends to cloud computing, especially when we delve into the world of multi-cloud! Whether it’s hybrid cloud or multi cloud, they’re groups of cloud computing technologies that are combined to create one powerful cloud environment.

Not all cloud computing systems are grouped together in the same environment. To maximize the benefit of cloud technology, companies need to first identify their end goals, and find out which grouping to use. There are two popular environments to utilize with cloud systems, the first being multi-cloud, and the other, hybrid cloud.

Multi Cloud vs. Hybrid Cloud

What exactly differentiates these two similar sounding cloud group ecosystems? This article explains the differences between the two, and when to choose which environment.

Multi Cloud

As the name suggests, there are multiple cloud computing services at play, and they are all public ones. Usually, companies will employ the services of more than one cloud hosting service, so that they can have various top-performing tech at their disposal. Multi cloud is always a blend of one or more cloud services, and when used in combination with private cloud, it is referred to as multi-cloud hybrid.

Hybrid Cloud

In a hybrid-cloud setup, the storage and computing infrastructure is made up of a blend of private cloud and public cloud tech. It can also include in-house cloud systems as well. The different components are designed to work in sync with each other to offer an extremely robust and agile computing system.

Hybrid cloud environments always have a private element, and one or more public cloud computing elements. A Bloomberg survey found 96% of leading data companies to be using open source software. Of those, 97% are headed towards hybrid-cloud environments, and have found success in doing so.

Choosing between multi cloud and hybrid

Ten of the largest public cloud service providers will own 50% of the public cloud market until 2023, Gartner notes. This means that one or more of these giants will probably host most of the hybrid or multi-cloud systems. Deciding which system works best comes down to assessing current workloads, data infrastructure, networks, storage needs, and more.

1. Security

Security is embedded and controlled a lot better when it comes to private clouds than when it is a public cloud. This is not to say that public clouds are lacking in the security department. In hybrid models, security specialists can encrypt and set data security measures a lot more easily than with the multi-cloud approach.

2. Faster and better

Having tasks divided across sections in a hybrid cloud model gives companies agility like never before. Faster uploads and workload speeds translate into time saving and efficient computing processes.

3. It’s a team effort

Training and certifying employees to be able to operate cloud systems takes twice as much time and effort. With a hybrid cloud strategy, companies can maximize work and minimize training and downtime.

4. All about the money

Using a blend of private cloud and public cloud like in a hybrid model offers exceptional cost savings as opposed to running a data operations system. Companies with their exclusively private cloud system need extra personnel to create, manage, and monitor the ecosystem that translates to higher overheads and expenses. These costs can be mitigated by using hybrid cloud systems.

Mix and match for less

Companies may choose a multi-cloud mix and match approach to find the best in class service for the lowest price that different companies provide. This gives them the best of all cloud worlds in one ecosystem. A Forbes article reports that the customers choose multi cloud to “increase agility, minimize vendor lock-in, take advantage of best-in-breed solutions, improve cost efficiencies, and increase flexibility through choice.” Multi cloud is a smart choice for companies looking for a low-cost, high-yield option.

Best of both worlds, home and public

Other companies opt to utilize hybrid cloud when they want to outsource one or more cloud computing elements from other vendors, alongside their own on-site capabilities. Great examples of this include using Amazon Web Services to merge seamlessly with in-house cloud computing.

By prioritizing costs, security, or output, companies can make better-informed choices while selecting a cloud system environment that works for them. They may choose to go for a hybrid approach for an additional layer of security, or may prefer the cost savings that multi cloud offers.

With Aspire’s proven cloud consulting approach, companies are in good hands to select and set up an ideal cloud environment. We offer solutions tailored to meet their goals and maximize efficiency.

Abstract

Multi or hybrid cloud? Whether a company is looking to integrate cloud systems from public service providers, or sticking to their own private cloud systems and merging it with the public, there are options for every company.

Hybrid cloud environments integrate private and public clouds seamlessly. They offer the advantage of a better security layer. In addition, hybrid gives companies the familiarity and comfort of their in-house cloud system, along with the agility of public cloud features. On the other hand, the multi-cloud approach offers great cost-saving benefits and allows companies to choose from a wide variety of public cloud offerings to create a powerful cloud computing system.

Which one is better? We define each type and list the differences so that companies can make better-informed choices to choose multi or hybrid cloud.

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