final thought
data centres – both of which are crucial to handle the demands of the connected world we live in. Essentially, the greater agility you have, the more possibilities you will have at your disposal.
and enhance their existing systems in the cloud. Essentially, this means they don’t have to scrap their entire infrastructure to take advantage of the benefits associated with cloud computing. Businesses want to be able to operate cost effectively, without limitations, and a hybrid IT environment is a powerful enabler.
Boosted data privacy
Combining the best of both worlds
This is why we see many turning to a hybrid IT model. Operating a hybrid IT environment also means businesses don’t have to pile all their eggs into one cloud basket. The cloud is not an all or nothing proposition, rather businesses are able to maintain an ‘open’ approach, without migrating their entire portfolio to the cloud, and without vendor lock-in concerns. Going hybrid also gives each business the opportunity to revolutionise their current IT set-up
A hybrid IT environment offers the best of the private and public cloud worlds, helping tackle reservations that many businesses have about moving their entire IT infrastructure to the cloud. Perhaps the most significant benefit is that innovative technologies can be integrated as and when required, helping upscale business and IT operations. The correct workloads can be chosen and moved depending on the businesses needs and new technologies. The ability to scale workloads on demand helps handle the massive amounts of data being created today. Even more importantly, it means emerging technologies, such as AI and ML, are more accessible. This becomes even more important in today’s quickly changing landscape, marked by a number of emerging technologies and fluctuating digital requirements. Not only will a hybrid approach enable greater flexibility, but it will also result in better total cost of ownership (TCO), agility, security and customer experience. All of which are vital aspects all modern-day businesses are striving to achieve. Given the associated benefits, it’s not surprising that by 2020, 90% of organisations are expected to adopt hybrid infrastructure management. A hybrid infrastructure helps businesses move towards digital success and opens the doors to both edge computing and hyperscale
“Operating a hybrid IT environment means businesses don’t have to pile all their eggs into one cloud basket.”
A hybrid infrastructure can enhance compliance as businesses have the flexibility to choose where to host and process their data. This becomes particularly poignant with new data legislation such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is to be enforced from May 2018. Additionally, a hybrid infrastructure means critical, business-sensitive data can still be stored on-premise to improve governance, while any data that is less sensitive can be sent and stored in the cloud. However, data compliance must start with sound data governance and policy. Technology plays a part by providing some elements in support of achieving this regulatory compliance.
Ready for the evolving world Given the performance and governance benefits of a hybrid IT environment, it’s not surprising that European IT decision-makers recently voted their top investment priority as readying their data centre infrastructure for the emergence of hybrid cloud deployments. Considering the rapid evolution of cloud technology, one thing modern-day businesses can be sure of is continued change – making it all the more important for businesses to operate with greater flexibility and agility to meet the need the demands of both the market and its customers. Lenovo, lenovo.com April 2018 | 51