Multicloud is a term that is on the rise in the tech world, along with the growing popularity of the cloud in the current landscape.

And its definition, and use cases, is as simple as the origin of its concept. But still, let’s go through the definition, features, and use cases of this wonderful technology.

So, let’s get to it. Read on in order to find out what Multicloud is and how this strategy can transform a company’s technology ecosystem. Enjoy!

What is Multicloud?

Multicloud is a cloud management strategy that involves the simultaneous use of two or more service platforms.

It can include any combination of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) services from different providers in order to avoid reliance on a single vendor, enhance security, and optimize cloud resources, among other goals.

This brings a number of benefits, which we will see below, and is recommended for some critical sectors. But before we get there, let’s talk about the features and advantages of this technology.

Features and advantages of Multicloud

Multicloud has very peculiar features that make the approach useful for various applications. If the “traditional” cloud is already being adopted en masse, we can understand Multicloud as an evolution of the concept for companies.

It is also important to reinforce that these characteristics, in practice, become interesting advantages in everyday life. Get to know below the main points that we have highlighted for you:

• Diversity of suppliers: The Multicloud strategy allows the simultaneous use of services from different cloud providers. For example, an organization might use Amazon AWS for data storage, Google Cloud for information analysis, and Azure to run its custom systems;
• Flexibility and Customization: With Multicloud, organizations have the freedom to choose the best services from different cloud providers according to their specific needs. This allows them to customize their infrastructures according to their operational reality;
• Resilience and Redundancy: Another positive point of Multicloud is the ability to increase the resilience and redundancy of data, because if a cloud service fails, the organization can still operate by using the other cloud services. The same goes for data protection, which can be better protected with this approach;
• Resource optimization: Multicloud also allows organizations to optimize resource usage and control their costs in a personalized way. They can select services from different providers based on pricing, features, performance, and other strategic factors;
• Increased security: Lastly, by splitting resources and data across multiple cloud platforms, organizations can increase security. If a cloud provider is compromised, the organization’s exposure will be limited to the data and services on that particular provider, which is an extremely smart strategy.

Read also: Cloud Security: What It Is, Why It’s Important, and How to Apply It

Multicloud Use Cases

With so many advantages to offer – and we haven’t even listed them all – Multicloud presents itself as a very interesting solution for several areas. Below, we separate 3 possibilities where the combination of technologies is welcome:

1. Retail industry: Retail companies can use AWS in order to store and analyze sales data due to its ability to handle large volumes of data, while Google Cloud can be used in order to create and manage machine learning applications to predict sales trends and customer behavior.
2. Banks and financial institutions: In the financial industry, Azure may be the ideal choice for infrastructure services due to its tight integration with Microsoft Office tools, while AWS can be used for risk management and compliance due to its advanced security and privacy features;
3. Healthcare: A hospital can use Google Cloud for patient data analysis in conjunction with AWS, which stores patient records due to its robust security and compliance features.

As we can see, sensitive areas, such as those mentioned above, are great candidates for Multicloud adoption, but the same scope goes for other areas of society that can benefit, and greatly, by the mixture of solutions.

Multicloud vs. Hybrid Cloud: What’s the Difference?

This is a very common question when it comes to cloud computing, but what is the real difference between the two approaches?

While Multicloud uses multiple public cloud services from different vendors, a hybrid cloud is a combination of a public cloud with a private cloud. In practice, this means that a private cloud infrastructure operates exclusively for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a third party.

– “Okay, but why—and when—is this necessary?”

The main choice for each approach is in its purpose. In the hybrid cloud, for example, companies can use the private cloud in order to manage sensitive data and the public cloud for high-processing tasks.

In contrast, a Multicloud strategy relies on distributing resources across multiple public clouds to best leverage the specific advantages of each.

In the end, which approach you choose will depend based on the company’s line of work and unique characteristics of the business. In this sense, there is no right or wrong, and each technology must be applied with strategy and intelligence.

Multicloud Challenges

Despite its many advantages, Multicloud also has some challenges. The main challenge among them is management, where different cloud providers have their own interfaces and functionalities—and that can be quite complex.

In addition, there is also the challenge of security. While a Multicloud strategy can increase security by reducing reliance on a single provider, it can also introduce additional complexities as organizations try to ensure that all of their different cloud platforms are secure.

This is a minor paradox of technology.

However, in order to overcome these challenges, many organizations turn to Multicloud management tools and platforms. These solutions provide a single place to manage cloud operations, simplifying complexity and helping to ensure a business’s cybersecurity.

So, with the right tools and platforms, organizations can enjoy the benefits of Multicloud while minimizing their challenges. And as cloud technology continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see even more innovations and opportunities emerge in this area.

Do you like the content? Also Read: Software Architecture Patterns: What They Are, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Use Cases