Why hybrid computing is ideal for CIOs

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are increasingly choosing a hybrid model when it comes to their cloud strategy, especially those working for large organisations that deal with highly sensitive data. CIOs are responsible for the management, implementation and functionality of information and computing technologies. These executives have found that a hybrid solution gives enterprises the benefits of both public and private cloud environments.

In recent years, CIOs have had to respond quickly to lockdowns and other disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Dealing with challenges, such as remote working teams and supply chain disruptions, has been the focal point for many business decision-makers. A hybrid solution offers diversified connectivity, with certain information kept on the company’s private network, while other data is routed to a public cloud.

Enterprise connectivity now needs to process large data sets and the infrastructure rollout of cloud technologies allows businesses to gain the competitive edge with data-driven decision making and the automated analysis of business processes. The cloud offers increased efficiency and facilitates innovation. CIOs are coming up with creative strategies that leverage these benefits of cloud computing, and the hybrid model is one such example.

What is hybrid computing?

Before the cloud became so prevalent, companies had to store all their data on servers that were housed on-site. Expensive hardware and storage costs meant that the infrastructure needed to process a company’s data was often quite pricey. When the cloud came along, businesses could start making use of third-party data centres. These public clouds have become a staple among CIOs because they are easy to implement and drive down costs.

With a hybrid model, the company combines the on-premises data centre (a private cloud) with a public cloud service, such as Microsoft Azure. Data is then shared between the private and public cloud to create a hybrid model, or “multi-cloud.” SEACOM Business offers South African enterprises access to cloud platforms as part of our tailored solutions for large organisations.

Scalability with hybrid computing

The first key benefit of the hybrid model is scalability. For some institutions that still need to use on-site physical servers, hybrid computing means they can still enjoy the benefit of burstable capacity. Cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure, enable enterprises to handle surges in demand and excess capacity that their on-site servers are unable to manage.

For example, during the tax season, financial institutions are faced with short-term demand surges and their applications and servers need to be able to handle this. Similarly, the retail industry needs to be able to meet consumer demand during peak times such as Black Friday or in the build-up to Christmas. The hybrid model offers an excellent solution to temporary spikes in demand, with the public cloud catering for demand overflows.

Saving costs with a hybrid cloud

The next benefit of hybrid computing is cost control. With investment in scalable virtual architecture, there is no need to waste resources on the in-house cloud. SEACOM Business offers fully-managed cloud services, which means that companies can scale down their IT departments.

Public clouds don’t incur hardware costs, nor do they require office space to house physical servers. CIOs need to consider cloud economics, and weigh up the cost of on-premise cloud solutions, including the lifespan of necessary hardware and software. Increasing server resource capacity is expensive and virtual public clouds offer an affordable alternative.

Dealing with complexities

One of the issues faced by CIOs is that the hybrid model is a more complex IT ecosystem. Troubleshooting, architectural complexity and security complexity are systemic with hybrid computing. Care needs to be taken when moving workloads over to the cloud and it is strongly advised that automation is used to mitigate the risk of human error. Clouds are not meant to be manually controlled, so wherever possible, CIOs should use automated technologies as part of cloud migration.

A hybrid model provides less visibility because there are multiple environments to monitor and maintain. Critical issues may be overlooked if there is poor integration between an institution’s public and private cloud. Architects must ensure that the private cloud is compatible with the public one. As such, Microsoft Azure’s Stack service enables organisations to apply Azure capabilities to on-premises systems. Essentially, this extends the cloud experience to a private cloud, removing much of the complexity faced by hybrid systems.

Hybrid computing offers better security

A hybrid cloud is ideal for certain industries that deal with very sensitive data, such as those in finance, governance and healthcare. Confidential data can be stored on private servers, while less sensitive data can go on the public cloud. Hybrid computing offers a flexible option that allows organisations to meet industry requirements related to compliance and privacy and also maintain full control of their data.

A hybrid model can also reduce the potential exposure of data, allowing CIOs to choose where to house their most sensitive information. Public clouds, however, offer similar security features to on-premise servers, if not better.

SEACOM Business offers industry-leading cybersecurity alongside its cloud services, giving South African businesses access to some of the most advanced security currently on the market, protecting organisations from malware and data breaches.

Why do CIOs choose a hybrid cloud?

A hybrid model accelerates cloud migration while optimising performance, cost and efficiency. Microsoft Azure offers seamless integration with existing systems, providing a holistic approach to cloud computing. CIOs looking for a multi-cloud environment should find the right partners that can support hybrid architecture.

SEACOM Business will help enterprises with their cloud computing needs, reducing complexity in integration and maintenance. For enterprises that need a close connection between their data, users and digital services, a hybrid model might be the answer, particularly when they wish to maintain a private cloud alongside an affordable and scalable public cloud. For more information or to get a quote for our cloud services, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

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