With cloud computing having proven itself as a highly efficient and agile way to implement IT services, for most enterprises the question is not whether to use cloud computing but how to use it. Increasingly, enterprises are settling on the "hybrid cloud" as the optimal way to reap the benefits of cloud computing.
A hybrid cloud is a "best of both worlds" solution that seeks to combine the benefits of public and private clouds:
There are two primary rationales for implementing a hybrid cloud. The first is that most enterprises support a variety of IT workloads, with some workloads involving highly sensitive data and processes and others being less sensitive. A common hybrid cloud strategy is to deploy sensitive data and applications on private cloud servers while outsourcing less critical workloads to cost-effective public clouds.
The second broad use case for a hybrid cloud infrastructure is to accommodate spikes in demand. The expensive private cloud can be sized to support typical service demand levels. Then, in a process known as "cloud bursting", occasional demand spikes can be accommodated by more economical public cloud resources that are kept at the ready.
For enterprises using a hybrid cloud approach to provide IT services to a dispersed, mobile workforce, the private cloud component and public cloud component have something important in common: both depend on the internet as an extended service delivery platform. A key cloud management challenge is to ensure that end users have a reliable, productive experience with cloud services regardless of the users' location and the type of internet-connected device they use.
This is where Akamai can help you maximize your hybrid cloud ROI. Leveraging our global application acceleration platform that spans more than 175,000 servers in over 100 countries, Akamai offers cloud acceleration solutions that:
Learn more about Hybrid Cloud acceleration solutions from Akamai.