5 Important Benefits of Multi-Cloud in 2023

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Cloud computing is among the most important technologies in modern IT.

By harnessing the power of private and/or public Clouds, organizations can deploy scalable, cost-optimized infrastructure, platforms, software, and other technology with high availability.

In many cases, teams can harness even more Cloud computing benefits through a multi-cloud approach.

What Is Multi-Cloud?

As the name suggests, multi-cloud is a Cloud computing setup that integrates public or private Cloud services from two or more Cloud providers.

Instead of working with a single provider for the full technology stack, the organization mixes and matches services from different providers.

For example, you may have your infrastructure provided by one vendor with platforms and software delivered through another Cloud provider.

Organizations can use multi-cloud setups for a variety of reasons ranging from redundancy and cost efficiency to accessing unique features from different providers.

How Multi and Hybrid-Cloud Are Different

It’s important for businesses to understand the differences between “multi” and “hybrid” Cloud computing.

Although these Cloud approaches share similar characteristics and benefits, they are not the same.

Hybrid Cloud mixes Cloud computing with on-premises IT infrastructure.

Multi-cloud includes multiple off-site Clouds.

It’s worth noting some organizations will use a setup that applies both of these concepts.

What Are the Benefits of Multi-Cloud?

There are many reasons to consider using such a setup. In fact, it’s very common for organizations to include multiple Cloud providers in the deployment of their technology stacks. Some of the most noteworthy potential advantages include:

Access to Best-in-Class Providers

Vendor lock-in can be a major issue in the IT world. By using multiple providers, organizations empower themselves to always choose the best-in-class Cloud solution for the challenges they may be facing.

Opportunity for Price Optimization

If a team selects a single vendor and stays with it, there is a high chance of cost inefficiency. By working with multiple providers, the organization can select the Cloud vendor that will deliver the best price optimization.

Greater Flexibility and Scalability

Even with a single Cloud provider, organizations are able to tap into flexibility and scalability that’s practically unattainable with on-premises infrastructure. When using multiple providers in a well-planned multi-cloud deployment, these benefits are multiplied, providing the organization with superior IT agility.

Better Risk Management

Whether due to hacking, natural disasters or other business disruptions, technology risks are serious for any organization. While Cloud solutions tend to be more robust than on-premises technology, a single Cloud provider can mean a single point of failure if the vendor is directly targeted. Using multiple vendors means spreading out and mitigating risk.

Improved Global Availability

Using multiple Cloud providers can help organizations increase performance and availability. Depending on the unique geographic needs of your team, you may be able to deliver more consistent performance by picking the best vendor for each locality your business is operating in.

The Drawbacks of Multi-Cloud

While there are many benefits to this approach, there are also a few potential drawbacks.

Perhaps the most significant disadvantage is the complexity.

The more vendors you have involved in your technology stack, the more challenging it can be to maintain.

Having complete visibility of the stack becomes difficult, and IT teams need to be highly organized to ensure consistent performance.

Furthermore, using multiple Cloud solutions can increase the attack surface.

With more complexity in the stack, there are more potential vulnerabilities that may be exploited.

Although the right multi-cloud setup can improve performance and decrease latency, a less-optimal setup can potentially have the opposite effect.

Teams must be thoughtful about their deployments and apply performance measurement techniques to ensure that they get the most from each Cloud vendor.