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Organisations turn to hybrid cloud

Companies of all sizes are turning to a hybrid infrastructure, because it combines the best of all worlds, says Richard Vester, director of Cloud Services at EOH.


Johannesburg, 14 Jul 2016

Cloud computing is in it for the long haul. However, businesses know that the transition to cloud is not a simple or instant one. Responsible CIOs will want to make sure their applications and data stored in, or accessed from, the cloud are secure, and that adopting the cloud will result in cost savings.

Perhaps, most importantly, says Richard Vester, Director of Cloud Services at EOH, CIOs will want to ensure that business operations will continue uninterrupted during the transition. "To get this right, businesses need to view the cloud as a model, as opposed to a location. With careful planning and foresight, the tech department will be able to get the right mix of agility and control for each application, but in order to do this, an application plan for deployment across a hybrid environment must be put in place."

He says any plan needs to make sure that application usage is seamless for users. "This is where a hybrid cloud comes in. A well-designed hybrid cloud offers seamless, as well as secure, access to applications, irrespective of where those applications are."

Hybrid cloud can be defined as a cloud computing infrastructure that incorporates private and public cloud, which are linked in a way that allows them to exchange data or applications. This is why organisations of all sizes are turning to a hybrid infrastructure, because it combines the best of all worlds, Vester says.

According to him, when it comes to the cloud, one size does not fit all. "This is why hybrid is the best choice, as it allows organisations' infrastructures to work in a synergistic way, by combining them into a single product portfolio. Once a company has the ability to create a common computing architecture, they can deliver improved reliability, optimised performance and far better cost savings."

However, he says, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of hybrid cloud environments. "For one, hybrid cloud offers greater architectural flexibility. A hybrid environment allows you to place workloads practically, and where they will work the best for you. Architectures can be aligned to take advantage of performance requirements, only offered by dedicated servers. Alongside this, it offers quick deployment times that are useful as requirements change."

In addition, he says, the hybrid model offers greater control. "Hybrid cloud allows the business to define if and where multi-tenancy is needed, and network segmentation can be defined to segment the architecture when necessary. Moreover, root access can be granted to the appropriate staff. All of this boosts control and security."

Adding to the security element, he says the hybrid model allays security fears by allowing businesses to select dedicated servers and devices on the network that can be isolated, or that have restricted access. "Security is a top concern among businesses embarking on a cloud journey, so the ability to configure devices to enable the dedicated servers and cloud servers to communicate on a private network, is a plus."

Another benefit is the simplicity of use. "Having to deal with multiple vendors and other third-party partners can be an onerous task. Think about separate billing capabilities, methods for pricing, different technology priorities, as well as fluctuating levels of support. All of these can make it extremely complex to keep outsourced tech running seamlessly. The hybrid model can address all of these concerns."

Finally, one of the most obvious benefits is cost savings. "There are many variables that will determine the cost and value of any hosted solution. However, a hybrid cloud enables an organisation to complement on-premises capacity with cloud infrastructure services on an as-needed basis. This translates into spending more only as and when needed, and due to the elasticity provided by cloud services, the hybrid cloud model offers a much better degree of flexibility to organisations that need to add capacity yet maintain certain resources on-premises."

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EOH

Listed company EOH is the largest enterprise applications provider in South Africa and one of the top three IT service providers. EOH follows the consulting, technology and outsourcing model to provide high value, end-to-end solutions to its clients in all industry verticals. EOH Cloud Services, a division of EOH, puts customers in control of their cloud experience at any point in their cloud journey.

For more information, visit: www.eohcloud.co.za.

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