“The right cloud service providers must then be selected based on cost, performance, and business requirements.”
Piyush Somani, Managing Director and Chairman ESDS Software Solution.
In an exclusive interaction with Enterprise IT World, Piyush Somani speaks about the pros and cons of multi-cloud and hybrid cloud. Piyush is the founder of the company and continues to lead the company as the Managing Director and Chairman. He has been instrumental in expanding the company in India and several international markets.
What is the adoption pattern of multi-cloud in India?
The adoption of multi-cloud in India is steadily increasing. Many organizations are realizing the benefits of using multiple cloud service providers to meet their business needs, including reducing vendor lock-in, optimizing cost, improving performance, and increasing flexibility. According to a recent report by IDC, over 85% of organizations in India are currently using or planning to use a multi-cloud strategy in the next two years.
What are the triggers for multi-cloud adoption?
I can say that there are several triggers for multi-cloud adoption. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, cost optimization is one of the main triggers for multi-cloud adoption in India, with 58% of respondents citing it as a significant factor. This is followed by performance improvement (45%) and scalability and agility (43%). Additionally, regulatory compliance and data sovereignty requirements are also driving organizations to adopt multi-cloud strategies.
Furthermore, multi-cloud adoption is often triggered by improved disaster recovery capabilities and addresses specific use cases or workloads that require specialized cloud services. By adopting a multi-cloud approach, organizations can ensure that they have the right tools and resources to meet their unique business requirements.
What are some implementation best practices in multi-cloud adoption?
Implementing best practices is crucial for successful multi-cloud adoption. To begin with, organizations must define a clear multi-cloud strategy that aligns with their business goals. The right cloud service providers must then be selected based on cost, performance, and business requirements. An established governance model must be implemented to maintain consistency and control over the multi-cloud environment. Automating tasks such as provisioning, deployment, and scaling can improve efficiency and reduce errors. Additionally, organizations must ensure that their multi-cloud environment meets their security and compliance requirements. According to a survey by Gartner, organizations that follow best practices for multi-cloud management are expected to reduce their IT costs by 30% by 2024.
What are the operational complexities in managing multi-cloud?
Managing multi-cloud can be operationally complex. One of the biggest challenges is lack of visibility and control over the environment, and potential security and compliance risks. The Flexera State of the Cloud report highlights that 88% of respondents identified managing cloud spending as a significant challenge, and 73% experienced unexpected cloud costs.
Additionally, according to a survey by Gartner, managing costs and governance are the top operational challenges faced by organizations in multi-cloud management. To overcome these complexities, organizations can implement various strategies such as cloud management platforms, standardization, SLAs, and DevOps practices.
Defining SLAs with cloud service providers can ensure that they meet performance and availability requirements while managing costs effectively. Implementing DevOps practices like automation, continuous integration, and delivery can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce manual effort. By adopting these strategies, organizations can optimize their IT infrastructure, overcome operational complexities and improve business outcomes.
How can organizations ensure robust cyber security in a multi-cloud environment?
Cybersecurity is a significant challenge for organizations that adopt a multi-cloud environment due to its complexity. Therefore, organizations must implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that includes threat detection, prevention, and incident response. According to a report by McAfee, 52% of organizations experience security incidents due to misconfigurations in their cloud environments.
Implementing a multi-layered security approach that includes physical, network, host, application, and data security controls can help organizations detect and prevent cyber threats from multiple sources and reduce the risk of a cyberattack. Identity and access management (IAM) controls such as multi-factor authentication can help organizations ensure that only authorized users can access their multi-cloud environment. Finally, regularly monitoring and auditing the environment is crucial to detect any potential security vulnerabilities and take corrective action promptly. By following these strategies, organizations can protect their sensitive data and intellectual property and reduce the risk of cyber-attacks.
Is multi-cloud good business decision given the operational complexities and security risks?
Multi-cloud can indeed be a good business decision for organizations if done correctly. As per an IBM study 85% of companies are already using a multi-cloud environment, and 98% plan to do so in the next three years.
However, to achieve the benefits of multi-cloud, organizations must recognize that multi-cloud adoption is not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not be the right fit for every use case. Multi-cloud can be a good business decision if properly implemented, but it necessitates careful planning, the implementation of best practices, and ongoing monitoring and management to ensure that operational complexities and security risks are appropriately addressed.
How does multi-cloud compare with a hybrid cloud strategy?
Organizations can choose between multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies to optimize their IT infrastructure, depending on their business requirements. A multi-cloud approach provides flexibility, choice, and cost optimization, while a hybrid cloud strategy offers greater control over sensitive data and applications while leveraging public cloud benefits. IDC reports that 64% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy, while 52% use a multi-cloud strategy, indicating the popularity of both approaches.
While multi-cloud may increase the risk of security vulnerabilities and be operationally complex, a hybrid cloud may pose implementation challenges. Thus, organizations must evaluate their business needs, the services required, and the pros and cons of each strategy before making an informed decision. Ultimately, the choice depends on their priorities and needs.
IDC reports that 64% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy, while 52% use a multi-cloud strategy, indicating the popularity of both approaches.
Implementing a multi-layered security approach that includes physical, network, host, application, and data security controls help organizations detect and prevent cyber threats from multiple sources and reduce the risk of a cyberattack.
