From Cloud to Hybrid: A Strategic Move for Modern Businesses

With a projected CAGR of 17.5% from 2020 to 2025, the global cloud computing market may hit a market capitalization of $832.1 billion by 2025. Cloud-based solutions are definitely leading the ongoing digital revolution at the forefront. Still, 98% of organizations across the globe are not willing to switch their IT infrastructure from on-premise to cloud. So, what is creating such a massive ridge in the IT world when it comes to selecting an IT infrastructure model?

The rapid advancement of technology has brought a multitude of choices when it comes to determining an IT infrastructure. While some may opt for on-premise or cloud servers, others pick hybrid infrastructure based on business needs. However, choosing the correct strategy is challenging, considering it demands a sound understanding of all three IT infrastructures.

• On-premise servers: These servers are physical servers hosted within an organization's data center. Since on-prem are dedicated servers, an organization's IT team or managed service providers hold complete administration over data. Moreover, organizations may limit or define data access rights per requirement. 
• Cloud servers: Cloud servers, on the other hand, are hosted in remote data centers managed by third-party cloud service providers, like Google Cloud, Azure, AWS, and others. Unlike on-prem, cloud servers need the Internet to be accessed. Since third-party service providers host cloud servers, they transfer limited data control to the user.
• Hybrid server strategy: A hybrid infrastructure is a novel solution for organizations seeking to leverage the advantages of both on-premise and cloud servers. Hybrid servers unify both these paradigms—public and private cloud and on-premises infrastructure—to create a single, flexible, cost-optimal solution, assessing the contemporary digital landscape.

Organizations Are Reconsidering Cloud Servers: Why?

Although cloud-based solutions represent the latest wave in the digital revolution and offer significant advantages, it is crucial to consider their distinct challenges. Some of those challenges are even propelling businesses to reconsider the adoption of cloud servers, including. 

• Increased Cost of Complete Cloud Dependency: While shifting to the public cloud may seem cost-efficient, it is not always cheaper. This is particularly true when managing workloads that require frequent data movement between local and cloud storage. Uploading data to the cloud can be reasonable, but retrieving it is expensive.
• Performance Inefficiencies: Latency issues are prominent in the public cloud. While some may endure slower data transfer and retrieval times and lackluster application performance, many businesses relying on speed for competitiveness find this unacceptable.
• Jeopardized Security and Privacy: Cloud service providers may implement the best security practices and industry certifications, but storing data and important files on external providers always opens up the gate to vulnerabilities.
• Limited control and flexibility: Since the cloud infrastructure is owned, managed, and monitored by a third-party cloud service provider, it transfers minimal authority over to the data owner.
• Evolving Business Requirements: Relying on cloud servers requires periodic reassessment due to evolving business requirements, which may result in adjustments and realigning IT infrastructure, potentially leading to additional management efforts and costs.

Given the inefficiencies of the cloud server, organizations may consider migrating to on-prem. Besides this, in sectors like finance or healthcare, where strict data protection requirements are applicable, on-premise solutions may help protect sensitive data more effectively from unauthorized third-party access. 

Embracing On-Premise Servers for Enhanced Business Success: Why?

Shifting away from cloud solutions might not always be the optimal choice. However, relocating critical infrastructure to physical data centers empowers businesses to regain command over their data and systems, diminish reliance on third-party providers, and enhance the security and performance of their operations, along with other associated benefits.

• Data Security: Businesses have complete ownership over their data and resources with a dedicated on-prem server. This allows them to address potential vulnerabilities and ensure data security at any time.
• Cost-Effective: While the initial expenditures of this type of solution are significant, the total cost of ownership is generally lower when compared to periodic payments spread over the system's entire lifespan.
• Greater Control Over Resources: On-premises software grants you the authority to customize, modify, and configure specific data within the software, aligning it with your business needs and requirements, as you possess the software's license and ownership rights.
• Reliable: On-site employees can access storage on on-premise servers without an internet connection, ensuring uninterrupted availability.

It is difficult to choose between on-premises and cloud servers, given the pros and cons of each. However, the emergence of the hybrid infrastructure provides a middleware solution that delivers scalability and portability, integrating the potencies of both servers.

Unraveling Hybrid Servers: Evaluating Pivotal Factors Before Implementation

• Centralized management allows easier maintenance and less downtime.

Hybrid cloud infrastructures exhibit inherent complexity, with workloads and data dispersed across multiple locations. To effectively navigate this complexity, businesses should adopt an integrated "pane of glass" approach. This strategy fosters a centralized perspective on network activities, facilitating seamless management and reducing downtime.

• Efficiently manage multiple clouds with a streamlined interface.

Managing and accessing resources in separate environments with numerous teams from different departments can drain time, money, and resources. To streamline operations, consider using a single interface to communicate with various technologies on the backend, enabling a seamless transition between technologies without disruptions.

• Choose between public and private cloud.

Organizations must wisely select between public and private cloud, depending on budget and scope of business. A private dedicated cloud will provide more control over security and structure but require more expertise to manage and maintain. In comparison, public clouds demand low maintenance but offer poor flexibility, given that the public cloud is managed by third-party providers.

• After implementing disaster recovery measures, testing them in a live environment is vital.

Organizations with disaster recovery measures must test their functioning in live environments post-implementation to ensure smooth recovery operations in the event of an attack.

• Consult an architecture specialist.

To avoid overspending or enforcing the wrong solution, relying on your IT Team is acceptable. However, seeking expertise from a specialist is the wisest course of action, considering the magnitude of the decision.

Easily Migrate to Hybrid Infrastructure with CXtec

In the contemporary digital landscape, when organizations seek to seize growth opportunities while simultaneously cutting IT costs, all without sacrificing quality, performance, compliance, or IT standards–choosing hybrid cloud infrastructure becomes a viable solution. As CXtec delivers solutions for  the modern business need for hybrid IT infrastructures, they offer equal2new®, a premier brand of refurbished infrastructure hardware, to ensure a smooth transition from cloud to hybrid server.

With over four decades of experience in the used network hardware market, CXtec with equal2new® strives to empower organizations to harness the benefits of on-premise servers. It offers numerous advantages, including cost savings, reliability, and uninterrupted operations. Thus helping your business in easy migration to hybrid infrastructure.