For the past few years, we’ve all heard a lot of talk about cloud computing and its many benefits. We’ve heard about the flexibility, scalability and cost benefits of migrating our business IT to the cloud. Even with all of the benefits, truly security conscious business owners have still been hesitant to move their operation onto the cloud.
Their concern often centers around the risk of placing proprietary data or privileged information on a public space. Cloud providers have always been aware of these concerns and have worked diligently to address them. Today, the underlying technology behind cloud services has become widely available to businesses so that they are able to deploy this technology inside their organizations. This has led to the evolution of a new model of cloud computing known as the hybrid cloud.
What is Hybrid Cloud?
A hybrid cloud combines the accessibility of public cloud computing with the security and privacy of an in-house private cloud environment. The public and private components operate independently and communicate through an encrypted connection, using software and technology that allows data and applications cross platform portability.
The hybrid approach allows your business to take advantage of the key benefits offered by the public cloud, scalability and cost effectiveness, while offering security by not exposing mission critical applications and data to third-party risk. This model is also referred to as hybrid IT.
By storing mission critical data on a private cloud, public exposure is kept to a minimum. This allows your business to still leverage the computational resources available to you on the public cloud as well as run applications that rely on this secure data. To truly be classified as a hybrid, the private infrastructure must operate using some type of cloud services, such as Nemakiware, an open source enterprise content management platform, or Joyent SmartDataCenter a cloud management platform specifically for private and hybrid cloud deployments.
The Benefits of Hybrid Cloud Technology
One key benefit of the hybrid model is privacy. Having an on-premise private infrastructure that is directly accessible without being pushed through the public cloud keeps confidential data private and also greatly reduces access time and latency when compared to the public cloud.
Because of the current challenges looming over the public space like consolidation of providers and the Net Neutrality issue, not to mention the cloud’s reliance of proper functioning of the net – any single point of failure can bring normal business operations to a halt. This can pose an unacceptably high risk for many businesses operating solely on the public cloud.
Working on a hybrid cloud allows your business to have in-house infrastructure and resources capable of handling your normal day to day operations while leveraging public cloud access for circumstances where increased computational power is necessary such as peak selling seasons or in instances where you need to add staff for a specific project. Because the public cloud operates using a “pay as you go” business model, budgetary control issues become much more predictable as well.
Using hybrid cloud technology can be an effective strategy for many businesses that require tighter security or unique physical presence demands of their infrastructure. Initial costs of setting up in-house infrastructure can be high, but adapting a hybrid approach offers control over critical data, and the flexibility needed to meet unforeseen challenges quickly and efficiently. This arrangement allows your company the flexibility, scalability and predictability to meet any business challenges that may arise in a rapidly changing economy.