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What is the future of the hybrid cloud?

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With 2015 in the rearview mirror, people are starting to look ahead toward 2016. Although most people are looking forward to a New Year’s resolution they probably won’t be following, many in the tech industry are eager to see what 2016 holds in terms of cloud computing development.

The cloud has completely changed how modern business is conducted, but it hasn’t stopped revolutionizing yet. Improvements in the technology have brought about something called the hybrid cloud, an incredible combination of the private cloud’s security and the public cloud’s affordability.

This advancement is working so well that MarketsandMarkets predicted that the hybrid cloud market would be worth a staggering $84.67 billion in 2019. That’s a huge improvement over 2014’s worth of $25.28 billion and simply points out how fast this technology is catching on.

Hybrid cloud is the ‘next step’

The hybrid cloud really is a breakthrough and has quite a lot of fans all over the tech industry. One of these fans is Brian Butte, a contributor for Network World. Butte states that the hybrid cloud is the next big thing for IT due to the rapidly changing landscape of modern technological innovation.

He states that advancements like the Internet of Things and real-time analytics are “cloud-dependent technologies” that work very closely with the end user, thereby requiring a public cloud option. However, the public cloud isn’t a perfect solution.

A hybrid cloud solution solves a lot of problems.Thinking about the cloud? Now’s the time!

Cybersecurity is always a huge concern for businesses these days, and the public cloud simply isn’t safe enough for all company data. Some information is simply too sensitive and therefore needs the security of a private cloud. That being said, the private cloud isn’t very cost-effective for housing all the data a business might produce.

This is why the hybrid cloud is so incredible, and it’s why this technological leap is becoming so popular. By combining the best attributes of both cloud types, the hybrid cloud is making quite a name for itself in the IT world.

As Butte puts it: “Deploying hybrid clouds is the next step beyond private clouds in the evolution of cloud computing.”

“The hybrid cloud is only getting bigger and better.”

Implement your hybrid cloud solution now

The hybrid cloud is only getting bigger, and there has been no better time than now to invest in it. If your company has needs that can be met by public cloud managed services, but you need a more secure option for other data, the hybrid cloud is right for you.

Make sure to check out ISG Technology’s cloud services page today and see what the hybrid cloud can do for you!

Hybrid IT: The basics

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Massive innovations in technology are rapidly shifting the current business landscape. Products and services that were once seen as unnecessary luxuries are now quickly becoming vital to a company’s operation. The cloud can most definitely be counted within these services, especially in the world of IT.

We’ve previously discussed the wonders of the hybrid cloud and managed services and what they can bring to your business, but the cloud is so much more than infrastructure. IT resources can leverage a hybrid cloud set up in order to receive similar benefits in what industry experts are calling hybrid IT.

“By 2020, 78 % of businesses will have integrated cloud computing.”

Bringing the benefits of hybrid cloud to IT resources

The cloud is a huge part of modern business, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Forbes contributor Louis Columbus stated that by 2020, 78 percent of businesses will have integrated cloud computing into their current business model. That’s a huge jump from the 37 percent that have adopted cloud managed services today, and this massive increase just goes to show the high demand cloud services have in the business world.

So, with this predicted success of the overall market in mind, the question still remains: What is hybrid IT?

To understand the answer to this question, the demands of IT organizations must first be fleshed out. These companies have set up their business model around the fact that their clients require IT resources such as the development and testing of mission-critical applications.

As the technology developed, cloud storage services began to be more economical and efficient than internal deployment on the part of the client. And so, cloud-based IT managed services was born.

However, there was a problem with this that needed to be fixed. Many IT organizations leveraged public cloud infrastructure in order to meet the needs of their clients. This works just fine for applications and data that are business-critical. That being said, problems began to arise when sensitive information needed to be hosted on the cloud.

As we discussed in our earlier article on public and private clouds, the public cloud has some security concerns. Due to the fact that you’re sharing a public cloud infrastructure with other clients, the data contained on these clouds simply isn’t as safe as those within an on-site, private cloud. On the flip side of this, private cloud infrastructures are very safe, but they’re also a lot more expensive to set up and implement.

Utilizing hybrid cloud managed services is the answer

So what do you do when you need the security of the private cloud but don’t want to pay for the entirety of your IT resources to be implemented on one? You have your cake and eat it too, of course.

Hybrid IT allows for security and cost effectiveness. Have your public cloud and secure your applications, too!

As managing vice president of Gartner Chris Howard said on the subject, “The cloud will simply become one of the ways that we ‘do’ computing, and workloads will move around in hybrid internal/external IT environments.” Basically, IT organizations are beginning to see that certain client applications simply can’t be hosted on the public cloud and have decided to implement a hybrid cloud solution.

The hybrid cloud combines the security of mission-critical IT applications in a private cloud infrastructure with the cost-effectiveness of a public cloud for data that isn’t business-critical. Hybrid IT is a revolutionary new concept and it’s sweeping enterprise IT right now, as providers like ISG Technology help IT organizations implement these solutions.

Next time, we’ll discuss the use cases of hybrid IT as well as its applications that span multiple industries and business models.

Cloud types and their business applications: Hybrid clouds

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As we discussed in our previous article on the subject, there are multiple options to choose from when looking into cloud-based managed services. Public and private are the two opposing clouds, and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, due to massive advancements in cloud technology, companies don’t have to actually choose between these two.

These services can be combined into something called the hybrid cloud. This is a model that is rapidly growing, with MarketsandMarkets predicting the market to be worth $84.67 billion by 2019.

Hybrid cloud is the future

Although hybrid cloud data storage is a combination of the public and private cloud, it’s important to note that these are two completely separate services. They can talk to each other via an encrypted network. However, they aren’t a singular product. Rather, the hybrid cloud combines the advantages of the two while also tossing out many of the disadvantages.

Say you’re the owner of a medium-sized business. You have data storage needs and are looking into cloud storage services. You’ve got a lot of data that isn’t very sensitive that needs storing, but you also have very important information you’d like to keep private. Compounding this further, imagine that your business is in an industry with very strict compliance standards.

These stringent requirements, coupled with the fact that you need heightened security for your sensitive data might point you toward a private cloud data storage package. You wouldn’t exactly be wrong in doing so, but you’d certainly be throwing money away storing data that doesn’t have the security requirements of the information that must meet compliance guidelines.

This is where the hybrid cloud comes in. You could leverage a public cloud data storage option, allowing you to cut costs, along with a private cloud plan that would allow you to keep your important information close to the chest. In effect, you’re combining what you need from the private cloud without having to pay the full price of it.

The hybrid cloud can help you save money. Don’t go through budgetary headaches. Get a hybrid cloud storage solution!

As a bonus, the hybrid cloud would allow you to keep your private cloud infrastructure on-site. Not only is this a great option for things like disaster recovery, it makes sure that your information is getting the security it needs. And with one 2015 study finding that the average cost of a data breach is roughly $3.8 million, security should always be a high priority for your sensitive data.

ISG Technology can help you implement a hybrid cloud option

Obviously, setting up this network is no small task. You’re going to need a managed service provider with years of experience in implementing a hybrid cloud data storage solution. Thankfully, ISG Technology has all the expertise necessary to help you take advantage of this amazing technology.

If cloud storage services interest you, or if you’d like to learn more about how the hybrid cloud can benefit your business, make sure to check out ISG Technology’s cloud services page.

Cloud types and their business applications: Public and private clouds

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The cloud is absolutely revolutionizing how companies are dealing with their data needs. Data storage and processing are the key to a successful business in the modern world, and the variety of cloud storage services out there are allowing companies to take advantage of this truly amazing technology. 

And while this multitude of services is certainly great in terms of providing options, deciding on which one to choose can seem like a daunting task. This technology is so new that many business owners simply don't know how it works, and as such many of them are simply opting to avoid cloud services altogether. 

We at ISG Technology believe the cloud is the future of business, and we hate seeing people miss out on this truly revolutionary technology due to its seeming complexity. So, to clear up any confusion, we've put together this two-part series on what the different kinds of clouds are and what they can be used for. 

Public cloud

This is a good place to start when discussing cloud managed services because it's one of the more basic options. A public cloud is where physical hardware that is owned and operated by a managed service provider in its own facility is leveraged for data storage and other uses by a paying client. These MSP-owned facilities house multiple clients, which is why they are considered "public."

The big benefit of the public cloud comes from its use of the equipment already procured by the MSP. Due to the fact that the hardware has already been paid for, and maintenance is a responsibility of the MSP, the public cloud client operates on a pay-as-you-go model that is highly scalable and extremely reliable. The infrastructure is also shared by multiple companies, which further reduces cost. 

Basically, small and medium-sized businesses can get a lot of use out of the cloud. The lighter load on your budget is great for a business just starting out, and company administrators can rest easy that the equipment storing their data will be safe, as MSPs are experts at handling their hardware. These advantages are the driving force behind IDC reporting that the global public cloud computing market is expected to reach $70 billion before the end of 2015. 

While there are obviously many benefits to the cloud, there are also disadvantages. The biggest of these has to do with security. Because the public cloud requires companies to share computing space, there is an increased risk of data leakage. Another client may accidently gain access to your data, or an outside hacker might gain access to it due to a vulnerability in a different company's defenses. 

The public cloud's main disadvantage is security. There's a bit of a security concern within the public cloud.

Private cloud

Much like its name would suggest, the private cloud allows for the same services of the cloud in a more secluded environment. All the hardware is specifically for one business, and a specialized network is set up just for them. The speed of application deployment and scalability are the same. However, a private cloud can be both on-site or off. This allows for a lot more versatility and flexibility.

The security is also miles better than its public counterpart. Because the network and hardware are specifically for one company, all the security concerns listed above aren't a problem. Another great advantage private cloud storage services have over the public variety is in terms of compliance. A company that operates in an industry with very stringent compliance standards would do well to invest in private cloud managed services because the organization can tool its cloud environment to specific needs. 

However, it's not all good news in the private cloud. The main disadvantage comes from the massive cost of having your own private area of an MSP's data center. Smaller companies simply won't be able to operate entirely on a private cloud data storage model because they won't be able to afford it. This is one reason why many companies don't opt for a private cloud, as the private cloud market was estimated by Technology Business Research Inc. to be worth $41 billion in 2014. 

Of course, these two models aren't all the cloud has to offer. In the next installment, we'll discuss what hybrid cloud storage services are, and why they're often seen as the better option for modern businesses.

What can cloud-based DRaaS bring to your company?

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As businesses are now completely dependent on data and computer systems, Disaster Recovery as a Service is quickly becoming something companies need in order to keep operations running. In fact, Transparency Market Research found that the DRaaS market is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 36 percent through 2022. 

Obviously, a lot of companies are beginning to see the many benefits of outsourcing their disaster recovery needs. That being said, many of these businesses have yet to integrate the cloud into their plans. 

While cloud-based disaster recovery plans aren't for everybody, they actually have many advantages that the average business can benefit from. 

The cloud allows for faster recovery

A lot of the cloud's popularity comes from the massive benefits to efficiency that it offers. This level of efficiency is also seen within disaster recovery plans that are based around cloud services. 

As Bill Claybrook stated in a TechTarget article, much of the cloud's agility in putting a company back on its feet when disaster strikes has to do with its physical server requirements. The cloud needs fewer servers than required by traditional disaster recovery plans, and as such has fewer actions to carry out when executing the plan. This means faster recovery for your company, which translates to less downtime and less money lost. 

Another great benefit of DRaaS is the use of service-level agreements by both the managed service provider and the company receiving the disaster recovery solution. An SLA lays out the MSP's minimum requirements in terms of services provided. In this case, an SLA can define a concrete timeline for disaster recovery, which can give company administrators peace of mind knowing that their business will be up and running within the preordained timeline. 

Costs are lower

When you do disaster recovery in-house, you're basically dumping a lot of extra work on your IT professionals. These employees have a lot of jobs outside of disaster recovery, and DRaaS allows them to fulfill your company's technical goals without being hindered by working on and testing a DR plan. 

Costs are also lowered in terms of hardware when receiving DRaaS. When you outsource your disaster recovery to an MSP, you can rest assured that the vendor has hardware that is far superior to your own. An MSP's livelihood comes from having reliable services, which means having some of the best equipment money can buy. 

This means that you'll be getting the benefits of the best hardware without having to actually pay for it yourself. And considering the fact that a Databarracks survey found that 21 percent of data loss events occur due to hardware failure, you can rest assured that your MSP's equipment will work better and longer than your own. 

That being said, the cloud isn't for everyone. Some companies simply need on-site disaster recovery, while others would benefit from a hybrid of these solutions.

Thankfully, ISG Technology makes choosing a DR solution simple. With services ranging from cloud-based, hybrid or even on-site disaster recovery models, ISG Technology can help your company develop a plan to increase business continuity and decrease downtime. 

What to consider when making the leap into the hybrid cloud

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Over the past few years, the hybrid cloud has emerged as the deployment model of choice for businesses that want to enjoy the scalability and flexibility of hosted solutions, but are not yet ready to move every single critical asset to such an environment. This approach allows organizations to maintain some amount of control over their resources while still supporting further expansion into the cloud. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that so many businesses view the hybrid cloud as the ideal way to strike a balance between governance and agility.

According to a December 2014 IDC report, around 65 percent of enterprise-scale IT operations will have fully supported the hybrid cloud by the end of 2015. Cloud and virtualization security strategist Andrea Knoblauch commented in a Cloud Best Practices piece that this surging interest in hybrid could be largely chalked up to its ability to easily provide many of the performance and procurement benefits associated with the cloud, while leaving ample room for further customization down the road if necessary.

"Simply put, hybrid clouds provide all the benefits of a regular cloud environment such as integration, networking, management and security, but applied to a partially internal environment," she wrote. "This means an organization can start with in-house computing resources, add external cloud resources to scale up and then go back and replace those cloud sources either with more on-premise infrastructure, or continue to leverage cloud solutions to balance manageability and security with the low-cost benefits of outsourcing to cloud providers where it makes sense."

Businesses should take care to follow a solid migration strategy when moving to a hybrid cloud deployment.Businesses should take care to follow a solid migration strategy when moving to a hybrid cloud deployment.

IDC researchers noted that in light of the hybrid cloud's growing popularity, organizations will have to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in order to accommodate this new environment. With that in mind, here are a few key factors to consider when planning a hybrid cloud deployment:

Lay out a strategy
It may be tempting to begin moving assets to the cloud without first figuring out the details about what that hybrid environment will ultimately look like. However, as TechTarget noted, that is more often than not a recipe for disaster. Moving anything to the cloud can present its own set of challenges, so it is important to plan accordingly at the outset of any cloud migration project, whether it be a private, public or hybrid deployment. 

There are a few basic ways organizations can go about migrating to the cloud. While a "life and shift" approach may appeal to business leaders due to its relative simplicity, it can bring with it a number of issues that will prevent stakeholders from extracting the cloud's full potential. Instead, as Ovum analyst Laurent Lachal told TechTarget, a preferable method would be to alter code within the apps that have been targeted for migration, making the whole process much easier. Organizations can go even further and make more drastic changes to the code to essentially transform on-premises assets into full-blown cloud applications.

Prepping apps for migration is just one critical step in the preparation process. Speaking with TechTarget, Altisource CTO Girish Juneja recommended adhering to two other primary best practices when crafting a cloud deployment strategy: establishing permanent fundamental configurations and developing strong security measures.

"No organization has to go through the cloud migration process alone."

Establish a connection between clouds
At the heart of the hybrid cloud is the notion that the public and private clouds should work in tandem, allowing businesses to leverage the benefits of both while minimizing their drawbacks. In practice, this might mean that apps hosted in public and private clouds will need to interact, necessitating some degree of connection and communication between the two environments. As TechTarget explained, cloud management and orchestration solutions can be essential here, helping businesses oversee and manage their complex cloud setups.

The thing to keep in mind during all of this is that no organization has to go through the cloud migration process alone. By working with qualified managed services providers, businesses can ensure that they lay out a roadmap to success in the cloud. Furthermore, these third parties can help optimize cloud deployments after they have been launched, improving the performance of such environments over time.

What are some top benefits of hybrid cloud computing?

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As the technology industry continues to advance and new capabilities are discovered every day, one of the biggest improvements on traditional IT infrastructure comes in the form of the hybrid cloud. Where private and public architectures offer distinct advantages depending on what the computing needs of a company may be, hybrid strategies can bring together the best of both worlds.

"The hybrid cloud market is expected to be worth an astounding $84.6 billion in 2019."

The hybrid cloud market is growing at a rapid pace. Earlier this year, RightScale's State of the Cloud 2015 survey indicated that 82 percent of enterprise respondents had deployed a hybrid strategy within their companies – an 8 percent increase over 2014. In addition, the hybrid cloud market is expected to be worth an astounding $84.6 billion in 2019, according to research published by MarketsandMarkets. This growth will come at a compound annual rate of 27.3 percent from 2014 to 2019.

What do these numbers mean? Among other things, they are an indication of the growing popularity of hybrid cloud migrations. As businesses consistently turn to some form of cloud computing to provide them with the right data analytics tools and storage solutions, the fact that the overwhelming majority are using hybrid infrastructure points to the versatility and possible cost-savings associated with these kinds of environments.

But why is the hybrid cloud so popular? Let's take a look at a few reasons enterprises and small businesses continue to choose an integrated solution over the alternative:

1. Gives companies a choice
Hybrid cloud computing brings together all the good parts about public and private offerings and integrates them into one well-managed solution. In this way, companies can run applications that require capabilities only offered by the public cloud while simultaneously storing their more confidential data on private cloud servers.

The federal government is one high-profile organization with an eye on the cloud. According to CloudTech, the IDG indicated that in 2014, the feds spent $1.7 billion on private cloud and $118.3 million on public. The combination of both platforms has allowed for greater flexibility within IT infrastructure.

Integrating private and public cloud offerings can make a difference in IT flexibility and efficiency.Integrating private and public cloud offerings can make a difference in IT flexibility and efficiency.

2. Cost savings and efficiency
With hybrid strategies, companies can pick what they want to store in different cloud environments. This leads to distinct benefits, including cost-reducing advantages. Research firm Gartner revealed that one of the biggest benefits of hybrid cloud is the impact it can ultimately have on a company's pocketbook. In particular, capital expenditures can decrease dramatically over traditional IT systems, since investment in and maintenance of physical machines is no longer necessary.

In addition, according to Network​ World contributor Robert J. Gibbons, Jr., the inherent financial advantage that comes from investing in these kinds of IT solutions can be augmented by creating data backups and utilizing cloud storage services. Disaster recovery strategies are crucial for any business, and hybrid IT allows managers to determine where mission-critical data needs to be stored in case of an emergency.

The bottom line is that companies can save money and strengthen their IT infrastructure by investing in hybrid cloud. Not to mention maintaining your environments doesn't have to be a hassle. When you partner with a certified managed services provider, IT management can be simplified and you can cut down on complexities that might slow down your operations.

ISG Launches Technology Cloud in Wichita, KS

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ISG Technology, a leading cloud hosting partner and technology reseller, has launched the ISG Technology Cloud in Wichita, Kansas. The ISG cloud platform – available in Missouri and now through one of ISG Technology’s data centers in Kansas – delivers enterprise class virtual infrastructure in combination with a robust set of managed services and storage solutions.

“The launch of our Cloud platform in Wichita further enhances our position as a leader in providing true Hybrid IT for our clients in the Midwest,” said Matt Brickey, VP of Cloud Services for ISG Technology. “We continue to see strong demand for both our cloud solutions and our managed services portfolio, and will continue to invest in providing those services to more regions. With a deep product portfolio across infrastructure, hosting, services and geographies, ISG Technology optimizes our clients’ investments in technology.”

ISG’s operations date back more than 30 years ago, and the company launched its first virtualized service in 2007.  Since that time, ISG has grown to more than 300 cloud clients accounting for over 2,600 virtual servers.

Cloud vs. colocation: What's the best option?

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Technology is changing more rapidly than ever before, and as such, the decision to keep data on-site or outsource it is becoming more and more relevant. While many companies may decide to keep their storage needs in-house, a wide range of businesses simply do not have this capacity or they choose not to take on this responsibility.

The reasons for this vary, however, the point is that some companies would absolutely benefit from storing data off-site. It is at this point that these companies must decide between cloud services, colocation or a combination of the two.

Cloud or colocation: Which is best for your company?
To begin, it is important to define cloud storage and colocation so that an informed decision about their differences can be made. Cloud services are where a cloud provider gives a company the ability to remotely access their resources and stores everything in the own data center environment. 

While this limits the hardware options a company can choose from, it gives the added bonus of keeping the responsibility of all system upkeep firmly in the hands of the cloud provider. Companies with a weak IT infrastructure or even those wishing to keep their IT department focused on a limited number of internal goals would absolutely benefit from cloud services and should put some serious thought into considering their usefulness.

Colocation, on the other hand, is where companies purchase and bring their own equipment to an outside data center with the added bonus of sharing power and other hardware needs with fellow tenants. Basically, this option is like renting an apartment and having other companies with similar data management needs as roommates. Colocation also allows for companies to have their data stored offsite, which gives an extra amount of security in terms of disaster recovery and business continuity.

It is these specific benefits that have lead consulting firm Vanson Borne to predict that colocation is going to be the biggest outsourcing approach over the next year. While there are many advantages to colocation, companies should understand the responsibility of this sort of data storage arrangement.

Colocation requires that companies purchase all their own hardware, and as such a deep knowledge of these systems is typically needed in order to choose the correct equipment necessary for their specific needs. Thankfully, colocation experts such as ISG Technology have a wide understanding of these infrastructures and can help clients with their colocation needs. 

Obviously, any company that is deciding between these two options needs to think long and hard about its data storage needs. Does the company need to focus more on internal IT needs than it does the management of data storage hardware? Or does the company not want to use another company's server to store data? Perhaps some data can be stored with a cloud service provider while other data is best kept within hardware owned by the company. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, as well as to combining the two in a more hybrid arrangement. There is no "better" option because every company's needs differ, and as such, each company needs to come to the understanding of which option is best for its specific requirements. 

Hybrid cloud solutions provide the best of both worlds for enterprise data storage

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The cloud has been making quite the splash in the enterprise recently, providing businesses with a better solution for data storage and mobile working opportunities. As more organizations implement cloud strategies, it is becoming clear that a large number of IT administrators are choosing hybrid environments to make the most out of their cloud investments and experience improved elasticity, availability and security at a reasonable price. Hybrid cloud adoption is growing so quickly, in fact, that the number of businesses implementing a hybrid environment is expected to triple in the next three years, according to Data Center Knowledge contributor Toby Owen.

"Businesses implementing a hybrid environment are expected to triple in the next 3 years."

A major part of the appeal of hybrid cloud deployments is that they offer the best of public and private cloud environments. While many organizations enjoy the convenience and cost-effective aspects of public cloud infrastructure, it can be difficult for IT administrators to approve placing business-critical applications and sensitive data in a public deployment. Private cloud environments offer improved security, as they are managed by the company itself. However, they are less agile than public platforms and can make it difficult for businesses to run efficiently.

"When you look at cloud in general, and you say 'I'm going to take my data, I'm going to store it somewhere that's outside my own data centers,' that already is a big hurdle to cross for many companies," said Rani Osnat, vice president of strategic marketing at data protection hardware provider CTERA Networks. "What you need to do is wrap enough security around it for that company to feel at least as comfortable with that concept as they do with storing it in-house."

Hybrid cloud is a rising star in the business world.Hybrid cloud is a rising star in the business world.

Enterprises see benefits with hybrid cloud solutions
Hybrid clouds merge both of those aspects together, creating an ideal deployment by offering the best of both worlds. Applications that need to be easily accessed can be kept in a more open public environment while sensitive systems and files can be kept in more secure private environments, ensuring all assets have the level of security and accessibility necessary. However, while the security and agility benefits of hybrid cloud deployments have made the option increasingly popular, a number of factors have played a part in the hybrid cloud boom, including price, performance and capacity.

Cost: According to research conducted by technology market research firm Vanson Bourne, cost is consistently reported as being a major factor when IT administrators are deciding on cloud investments. Since cloud computing is able to lower costs by reducing the amount of physical equipment necessary, the choice has become popular with many enterprises. Hybrid cloud infrastructure helps organizations reduce costs even more by offering businesses the ability to choose cloud features à la carte, picking everything from the operating system to the firewall protections. When companies customize each piece of their cloud environment, they are able to have total control over the cost, resulting in significant price reductions for most enterprises.

Performance: The technology that goes into a hybrid cloud deployment has grown increasingly sophisticated over the last few years, offering improved functionality and accessibility as well as enhanced capabilities. Today's hybrid cloud solutions are starting to incorporate many advanced offerings from infrastructure and software providers. Because these environments incorporate sophisticated features like disaster recovery, bare metal and virtual servers, online portals and HPC capabilities, service providers are able to offer hybrid cloud solution bundles that can meet the specific requirements of individual businesses. With more use cases and wider applications, hybrid cloud is a natural solution for businesses of all sizes.

Capacity: One of the most pressing reasons so many organizations are turning to hybrid cloud solutions is due to a need for more data storage capacity. A growing number of enterprises are now utilizing big data analytics, and Gartner has predicted that 80 percent of business processes and products will be reinvented, digitized or totally eliminated due to big data by 2020. Dealing with such a massive amount of information requires companies to utilize a cloud solution that is not only agile enough to handle processing such large amounts of data, but has the capacity to store the information in the first place. Hybrid cloud is the reliable answer, melding security and agility into one ideal platform.