What Is an Open Hybrid Cloud?

Open Hybrid Cloud is utilizing a mix of on-premises and third-party cloud computing infrastructure for business operations. It is an IT strategy to leverage the benefits of public and private cloud at the same time.

To further understand Open Hybrid Cloud, we need to dig into why going centric is a good strategy, as opposed to having a pure public or private cloud infrastructure.

What are the benefits of public, on-premises, and private cloud Infrastructure Implementation?

Cloud Computing is already the norm as far as infrastructure is concerned. According to the Hosting Tribunal, 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020, and 94% of enterprises already use a cloud service. That is pretty much the definition of mainstream.

Now that we have established that pretty much everyone is using cloud computing architecture, let us discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud implementation. Take a look at the following: 

On-Premises Advantages

• Security
• Complete control

On-Premises Disadvantages

• High upfront costs
• High maintenance costs

Private Cloud Advantages

• High level of control
• Privacy

Private Cloud Disadvantages

• Silo and lock-in
• High maintenance costs

Public Cloud Advantages

• Low costs
• Pre-made applications

Public Cloud Disadvantages

• Limited Functionality
• Shared Databases
• Weaker or lower levels of security

If you look at the above list, there is a discernible pattern. The more control a company has on its infrastructure, the higher its cost but the stronger its security. There is one break in the pattern: in public cloud applications, there is the ability to use pre-made applications through SaaS. That means, other than low costs, public cloud applications carry a functionality advantage on the public cloud end of the spectrum. 

Looking at it from a decision-maker’s point of view, cost is a problem for most companies, but it is not an insurmountable challenge. Security is an issue for everyone, but functionality is just as important.

The question now is: is there a way to have control, security, and functionality at a manageable cost?

That is where the hybrid cloud as a solution comes in. By using different cloud platforms for different processes, it is possible to have all of the advantages.

How does a hybrid solution work and what does Open Hybrid Cloud mean?

Spreading your resources around prevents a lock-in / siloed situation. Hybrid clouds spread your IT resources across different infrastructures for security and redundancy, but it is not without consequences. Implementing your IT solutions that way adds complexity and costs.

IT solution providers are aware of the disadvantages when implementing hybrid solutions; this is why platforms, such as containers, with their ability to be portable and an orchestration engine, were developed to help solve the problem.

There are also open source solutions to reduce costs. The IT landscape changes so fast that it’s practically impossible to provide all the necessary updates without having the resources of a tech giant such as Microsoft or Google. Going open-source provides the opportunity to access a large pool of talents willing to help improve the technology for their own various reasons. Their reasons may be varied but one thing is clear:  they are willing to put in their time and skills for free.

The various advantages in having an Open Cloud—regardless of whether it is Hybrid or not—are as follows:

• It practically invites innovation because it is connected to an entire community of programmers and developers who are constantly improving on the platform.
• It can create a multi-cloud environment which can run numerous apps and programs simultaneously.
• It is not held hostage by being licensed to one single company.
• It does not require one single IT administrator to manage it.

An Open Hybrid Cloud can become a practical and viable solution for most companies because it contains the best of all possible IT worlds. The essential IT infrastructure can be composed of a combination of various cloud models which sums up into the most apt cloud technology customized for a particular company. At the same time, its openness in the cloud can connect it to a wellspring of innovators and tech specialists who are continually contributing to its progress.