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Private cloud is just a data centre: why hybrid cloud is not a multi-cloud strategy

Capgemini
June 11, 2021

Someone has to finally say it: Private cloud is just a data centre. Therefore hybrid cloud involving public and private cloud is not a multi-cloud strategy. A true multi-cloud strategy requires the use of two or more Public clouds to run customer workloads. Otherwise what are you really getting? Your service is still held at a customer location… it doesn’t provide the same benefits as Public cloud… it can drive vendor lock in… it doesn’t virtualise your computing horsepower. Sound familiar? All one misses is the wire mesh fence, the Alsatians and the air conditioning. So why is it still out there, being commissioned and being proposed?

So what’s in the way?

As so often, when limits appear on what modern technology can do, it’s culture that is in the way. It’s a common misconception – often pushed by those with turf to protect – that Public cloud is not secure, or not compliant, or not to be trusted. This inevitably leads to reluctance and resistance in the adoption of a Public cloud strategy because such risk factors are exaggerated. But isn’t there a logic break in the middle of that thinking? Surely the enterprises likely to be the best at securing a Cloud environment… are the ones who run them for the whole world. It’s odd to imagine that a bank or a retailer or an oil company would be better placed to provide secure, reliable Cloud hosting than Amazon.

And what’s everyone missing out on?

Moving to true multi-Cloud Public cloud can deliver a host of benefits that are otherwise not available on its Private counterpart. It helps you reduce Capital expenditure and Operational expenditure by using pay as you go billing models. It prevents vendor lock-in and enables a smooth exit strategy. It introduces competitive tension, and that helps you deliver business functionalities at speed by reducing go to market time, while simultaneously increasing your ability to scale.

Crucially, as businesses continue to invest more and more in sustainability initiatives, it also reduces your carbon footprint dramatically. With Public cloud, the use of physical hardware can be reduced by sharing across workloads, making your business more energy efficient. Public cloud also enables you to focus on your business needs, rather than on physical infrastructure. Sticking with a Private cloud means you’ll be responsible for managing the physical infrastructure (just like with a data centre) resulting in additional cost and time expenditure.

So what are your multi-cloud options?

  1. Containerized solutions

Develop and design workloads in containerized solutions so they can be moved across different cloud environments to avoid vendor lock in, with opensource solutions in market that can easily be used across multiple clouds.

  1. Cloud native solutions that fit your requirements

Choosing cloud providers based on cloud native solutions helps in reducing go to market and focuses on applications rather than real hardware or infrastructure.

And how do you make them happen

Partner with a powerhouse in the area, who can offer end to end support from strategy to implementation. A major stumbling block to multi-cloud is the lack of accurate, experiential guidance on the Cloud journey. Alongside capability it is domain experience that gives us confidence in our ability to know what’s right for our clients. Also, be cloud agnostic – so that you select the right Public cloud platform according to your unique strategy, vision and digital transformation plans.

Most importantly, benefit from our long-standing partnerships with some of the largest Public cloud providers on the market. We help them on their cloud journey right from the beginning to ensure they choose the right multi-cloud strategy that harnesses the vendors best suited to their business.

In a nutshell

History will look back and laugh at the very concept of ‘Private Cloud’. It has far too many of the same issues as on-premise infrastructure… without the real benefits of cloud. Looked at with clear eyes, its popularity has been amazing for such a “lose, lose” option. Time to adopt a proper strategy within a ‘real’ multi-cloud model.

To find out more about how we can support your organization to embrace cloud, contact our team today.

Author

Pratap Ramisetty 
Cloud Lead at Capgemini
Experienced Azure Cloud Architect with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry.

Co-Author

Vincent Fokke 
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Capgemini FS Benelux at Capgemini
Chief Technology Officer with an eye for improvements in the complete enterprise architecture. His main focus is digital channels and (Dynamic) Case Management but acts as a digital architect and guides his clients along their digital transformation.