Four Potential Challenges of a Multi-Cloud Environment

July 9, 2018

While many organizations embark on a digital transformation with the full expectation that they will make a complete transition to cloud technology, the reality is often a different picture. The flexibility and customizable options available in a multi-cloud environment often lead enterprises to switch directions as they implement cloud solutions.
In many cases, multi-cloud becomes the preferred solution because it offers the ability to combine the benefits of both public and private cloud, plus on-site legacy systems. IT managers can monitor the entire environment with a virtual dashboard overlay that allows them to route network traffic and move workloads around in ways that maximize effectiveness.
This all sounds like a magical place discovered on the way to complete cloud adoption, but multi-cloud environments also come with their own challenges:
Greater complexity: The combination of different cloud solutions, in tandem with on-site software and hardware, means that multi-cloud environments can become burdensome in their complexity. From constant innovation to changing pricing schemes, it may be difficult to determine whether a particular option is cost-effective. In addition, the management of security, agility and data access costs can be time-consuming.
In many enterprises, IT managers are putting policies in place to lessen the degree of complexity. Determining which kinds of workloads are housed in a particular cloud solution or who needs to authorize the migration of an application into the cloud are just two examples of these types of policies.
Maintaining network performance: With all the speed and agility promised with cloud solutions, a network that’s not ready for increased traffic can quickly dash these expectations. With the amount of data being exchanged between the enterprise network and cloud solutions, plus the additional load added with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, network managers are needing creative solutions to ensure adequate network performance.
Cost: Users generally don’t have any insight into what costs are associated with accessing cold data, and IT simply doesn’t have time to sort through thousands of lines on a statement to find out. Cost is often one of the first reasons expressed for making a move to cloud, but unexpected data storage costs can quickly add up.
Security: In a multi-cloud environment, there are different roles in place for different areas of security, and IT needs to make sure they all follow the security strategy of the enterprise. Cloud technology increases the security plane, and mobile technology and IoT create many more endpoints to manage and monitor for security risks.
Despite the challenges of a multi-cloud environment, it is one of the best answers for enterprises that want to optimize their costs and performance while taking advantage of the best available innovative technology. Contact us at Access Tech to learn more about how to manage the challenges of multi-cloud solutions.

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