Why Adopt Multicloud Technology?

In recent years, with the wave of accelerated digitalization across businesses of all sectors, the pursuit of efficiency, agility, and competitiveness has led to the exploration of technological trends. In this context, multicloud has emerged as a new approach to cloud computing, providing even greater flexibility for Information Technology.

Serving as a bridge between different cloud providers, multicloud technology facilitates the integration of resources from various suppliers, making processes unified and easier to manage.

Due to its many advantages, it is projected that more than 70% of companies will use multicloud management platform resources as part of their cloud services in 2023, according to a global forecast by IDC.

In this article, you will understand what multicloud is, its main challenges, and why to use this technology. Happy reading!

What is Multicloud? Multicloud refers to the strategy of using multiple cloud providers to host different components of a company’s infrastructure, applications, or services. Instead of being reliant on a single cloud provider, the multicloud approach distributes workloads across various cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

The multicloud approach allows organizations to leverage the strengths of each cloud provider. For example, one provider may offer excellent storage solutions while another provides more advanced data analytics platforms.

In general, adopting a multicloud strategy provides greater flexibility, avoids dependency on a single provider, and helps mitigate risks related to service interruptions, security failures, and technological limitations.

What Are the Types of Multicloud Services? Multicloud services can be categorized into three different types:

• Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS functions as a complete ecosystem for developing, running, testing, and managing applications and systems, all connected to the internet.
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS provides infrastructure resources, such as virtual servers, storage, networks, and operating systems. With this service, users have full control over configuration and deployment, allowing them to build and manage IT solutions entirely in the cloud.
• Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS offers ready-to-use applications that can be accessed by users via the internet. In this model, applications run on the cloud provider’s infrastructure, and users use these apps without worrying about installation, configuration, or maintenance.

What is the Difference Between Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud? There is often confusion between the concepts of multicloud and hybrid cloud, but while they are similar, they are quite different. Multicloud involves the simultaneous use of different cloud providers of the same type—public or private—to meet an organization’s needs.

On the other hand, hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds designed to create a unified and customized computing environment based on the specific requirements of each company.

In other words, the main difference between multicloud and hybrid cloud lies in how the two resources integrate and combine different types of cloud. Multicloud involves the independent use of multiple cloud providers, while hybrid cloud combines public and private clouds to create an integrated and customized computing environment.

What Are the Challenges of Multicloud? Despite the advantages of multicloud resources, there are some challenges to consider when opting for this service. Here are some of these challenges:

• Management Complexity: Managing multiple cloud providers simultaneously can be complex, as each platform has its own interface, tools, and usage policies. Addressing this complexity requires investing in appropriate skills and resources.
• Integration and Interoperability: Ensuring that integrations and interoperability between different services and platforms occur smoothly can be challenging. This is because data and applications need to be transferred and shared effectively between different clouds, requiring a solid integration strategy.
• Security and Compliance: Each cloud provider may have its own security mechanisms and tactics. Therefore, companies must ensure that their data and systems are protected according to each platform’s specifics, implementing consistent security controls.
• Portability: Moving applications and data between different cloud providers can be challenging, especially when it comes to large-scale migrations or highly integrated applications. In such cases, data portability and platform compatibility should be considered from the outset.

Why Use a Multicloud Strategy? Even with these challenges, there are several reasons why a company might choose to adopt a multicloud strategy. Here are some of the main advantages:

• Flexibility: Multicloud allows companies to select cloud providers that best meet their specific needs and requirements. It is possible to choose services and resources from different providers based on criteria such as performance, specialized features, geographic location, and cost-effectiveness.
• Cost Optimization: The multicloud strategy enables companies to have more control over costs, as it allows for comparing prices and choosing the most economical option for each service or resource more easily. Additionally, adopting this strategy allows for taking advantage of specific offers and discounts from each provider, reducing overall cloud computing costs.
• Better Performance and Low Latency: By distributing workloads across different cloud providers in strategically located geographic areas, latency can be reduced, and application performance can be improved. This can be extremely beneficial for companies with global operations or those that rely on rapid system responses.
• Facilitated Migration: Although migration can be a challenging and time-consuming process, a multicloud strategy offers more flexibility to move applications and data between cloud providers, facilitating the adoption of new technologies and experimentation with new solutions.

As you’ve seen throughout the article, multicloud is a resource that brings flexibility and accessibility to Information Technology, simplifying daily operations across various types of businesses.

Liked this content? You can find more articles like this on the BugHunt blog!