A cloud is a collection of servers that you can access remotely over the Internet. Each cloud is managed by a cloud provider, which is the company offering cloud services. Clouds typically fall into two categories: private and public cloud. A private cloud is dedicated to a single organization, while a public cloud shared among different customers.
A multi-cloud environment is a cloud computing infrastructure that utilizes multiple cloud service providers. According to research, 89% of cloud decision-makers use multi-cloud environments. Keep reading to learn about the advantages of using multi-cloud servers and how they compare to hybrid cloud solutions.
Both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud computing strategies use more than one cloud, but they differ in the kinds of cloud infrastructure they use. Unlike multi-cloud computing, hybrid computing uses two or more different cloud environments. Most hybrid cloud strategies combine on-premise cloud resources with public cloud resources from a third-party provider.
Other factors that differentiate the two include:
Pricing: A hybrid cloud model can cost more, especially if the private cloud resource is hosted on-premises. On the other hand, a multi-cloud resource is cheaper to deploy and maintain because it uses public cloud resources, which are more affordable.
Availability: Multi-cloud environments are largely available. This means that if one resource goes down, you can simply switch to another one. This is, however, not the case for hybrid cloud models, where some resources are managed privately. Should the private resource have some downtime, it will require maintenance, possibly causing inconvenience.
Security: Companies using a hybrid cloud model usually have control over who can physically access their private cloud hardware. This gives more data security, making it suitable for highly regulated industries. On the other hand, companies using multi-cloud solutions don't control access to physical infrastructure. However, private data is still safe since it's typically kept behind layers of strong security.
Reliability: By using a multi-cloud strategy, you avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. That's because if one cloud goes down, you can simply switch to another one. You can also use one cloud to back up another one.
Potential cost savings: Since you are not restricted to one vendor for all your infrastructure needs, you can compare services from different vendors and choose the most affordable one.
Sustainability: Incorporating multiple clouds into your company's IT strategy gives you the freedom to choose the best cloud-hosting provider for each individual task.
Mitigating vendor lock-in: Using a multi-cloud strategy means you have strong negotiating power since you can easily switch from one vendor to another. You can use this power to get the most value out of your partnership with your cloud service provider.
A multi-cloud strategy uses different public cloud services, most often from different service providers. Several companies opt for multi-cloud due to its many advantages. It's a great choice for companies looking to balance price, performance, sustainability, and flexibility. But to get the best out of it, you should choose your service providers wisely.
Sources
https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-multicloud
https://www.acronis.com/en-sg/blog/posts/top-10-benefits-of-multi-cloud/
