What is multi-cloud?
Multi-cloud refers to when an organisation is using cloud services from two or more providers to operate its applications. Businesses use multiple cloud services rather than one vendor for the various components they may need such as applications, storage and hosting.
How does multi-cloud work?
A multi-cloud computing set up works by combining clouds to meet the needs of the business. This may be using different providers of infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS).
This could mean using Google Drive to data storage while using Microsoft Azure for your disaster recovery & backups. You may choose to use a multi-cloud setup as not one single vendor is able to meet the needs of your business, it can even help mitigate data loss or downtime if a provider was to fail.
Whatβs the difference between hybrid cloud and multi-cloud?
A hybrid cloud can also be a multi-cloud but not the other way around. Hybrid cloud is a description of two or more types of infrastructure such as a cloud and a on-premises data centre. Only hybrid clouds use private cloud systems.
Multi-cloud is a description of multiple public cloud services being used within a business.
A hybrid cloud can be a multi-cloud if it is using multiple public cloud vendors alongside an on-premises or private cloud.
Why do many organisations use the hybrid and multi-cloud approach?
Organisations use different variations of hybrid and multi-cloud setups for a variety of reasons including:
- Flexibility β With either option you can give your business more flexibility to operate and adapt easily to any changes to infrastructure accordingly.
- Cost β When separating your providers you have better control over costs and can choose whether you want to be locked into one provide while managing your own on-site premises or go to a variety of cloud vendors. With better control over the overall running of these providers, performance across departments can increase while costs reduce.
- Innovation β By selecting the best providers for your organisations needs you can seek out innovative products without having to wait for one vendor to update to meet the standards you can get from somewhere else. Choosing from multi-cloud providers means businesses can always be up to date with the latest and greatest.
- Disaster Recovery β Outages can bring business to a standstill, just look at what happened with CrowdStrike & Microsoft in July 2024 when everything from airports to hospitals were left with no systems. Using the multi-cloud approach allows businesses to continue to operate in some capacity with the remaining systems that are online.
- Digital Transformation – Hybrid cloud (and some multi-cloud set ups) allow companies to adopt new technologies to improve efficiency while retaining select on-premises controls.
- Scalability β Using cloud technology organisations can easily scale up or down their cloud offerings based on their workloads, staff levels and application usage. When your business develops multi-cloud allows your technology to move along with you.
How can Quiss help with multi cloud applications?
Hybrid and multi-cloud approaches can offer enhanced security, cost savings, and better performance, depending on the organization. However, achieving these benefits requires careful preparation of infrastructure and specialised expertise.
By evaluating your specific needs, we can help determine whether a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud approach is best for you. The ideal cloud solution is one that provides the necessary resources, safeguards your assets, and aligns with your goals. Quiss cloud services are customisable to fit your unique requirements. Contact us today for guidance in choosing the right cloud strategy for your business.
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