Where Do We Go After The Cloud?
Do you remember when everyone was told that cloud computing was going to simplify their IT? Now, think about how many cloud vendors your organization currently works with. Is it four? Five? You’re not alone. According to a study by Microsoft, nearly 33% of companies currently work with four or more cloud vendors. While the cloud isn’t going anywhere, the future looks to actually be “the clouds.”
Why Did Multi-Could Environments Arise?
There are many reasons why businesses rely on multiple cloud vendors. Some just like to have options that can be tailored to suit their needs. In other cases, different departments need different tools and services than others. Large companies have many different divisions, all with differing priorities and needs, and it stands to reason that the best solution would be a multi-cloud environment.
Multi-Cloud Strategies Are Good Business
It’s not just big companies that utilize multiple clouds. Small and mid-size companies also leverage multiple vendors for the simple reason that it reduces vulnerability and mitigates risk. Keeping all of a company’s data stored in one center leaves the organization vulnerable to outages, contract lock-ins, pricing problems, bandwidth issues and more.
Companies that went all in on a single provider early are finding it difficult to move to a multi-cloud strategy. Different IT environments are not plug-and-play, and while vendors can entice companies to move applications to their cloud with ease, they usually do what they can to keep those customers locked in. Portability is important to customers, but not to cloud providers, as a truly portable environment would turn the cloud into a price-sensitive commodity.
Google Ushers In The Multi-Cloud Era
Even though portability is seen as a threat to cloud vendors, many companies are starting to understand that the future truly is in multi-cloud environments. This became clear with Google’s recent acquisition of multi-cloud commerce platform Orbitera. Google recognizes the writing on the wall and understands that customers want the freedom to move between vendors and avoid getting locked in. By providing such options, they are positioning themselves to take on Amazon Web Services, the granddaddy of cloud hosting.
Cloud computing is only going to continue to expand with the continuing growth of mobile and the Internet of Things. Gartner estimates the industry will be worth $250 billion within the next year, and that multi-cloud is the new official battleground in the cloud computing wars. The real winners in the fight? Businesses looking for more flexibility and greater cost savings in their cloud services.
Are You Looking For IT Candidates?
If your organization is looking for talented tech professionals to help you effectively leverage the new multi-cloud frontier, partner with the IT talent acquisition experts at Talon. Contact us today to learn more about the ways we can help you find the talent you need to achieve your strategic goals.
