Pivotal factors to understand before getting hybrid cloud solutions for small businesses

Today, many small businesses are embracing the cloud solutions. The move comes as no surprise given the benefits it brings in the form of improved efficiency and agility. Hybrid cloud solutions employ an amalgamation of on-premises and off-premises IT infrastructure to bring about a unified computing environment. The solutions are engineered with the idea that ‘no one platform is right for everything’.

Little preference is being observed for either public or private cloud and organizations are rapidly taking the plunge in the direction of hybrid cloud. The use of small business hybrid cloud solutions enables flexibility and the choice of several data deployment options. Moreover, companies are allowed for better control as they have assurance of the solution being the sole bank of their own data and applications. All being mentioned, the introduction of hybrid cloud solutions also packs with it certain risks and complexities that must be addressed with the right strategy. If you are considering a hybrid cloud solution environment for a small business, here are some pivotal factors to be aware of:

What are the benefits of bringing about small business hybrid cloud solutions?

• Every business requires the capability of security and governance that is offered by hybrid cloud solutions. The organization receives the best of public and private cloud, thereby mitigating the security concerns. In case of wavered security by one platform, the responsibility can be swiftly shifted to the other.
• Hybrid cloud solutions offer great scalability. Its adaptation for small businesses reduces the expenditure incurred due to business operations.
• The combination of platforms is essentially remarkable for disaster recovery and backup. Thus, it is much cheaper to recover lost data and the downtime is shorter than through traditional IT infrastructure.

Does your small business need hybrid cloud solutions?

• A hybrid cloud solution is not for every kind of small business. It is thus essential to determine if the solution can benefit your organization.
• Evaluate if the platforms are vital for your business. Do the team members require fast and reliable access to the data on cloud? If the users do not need the same, then there lies no need to have a hybrid cloud solution.
• In case of business where there is no exchange of share files on the go, hybrid cloud solutions are not required.
• For a business type that is not majorly affected by data disaster, on-premises platforms can suffice.

What are the essentials to put in place before moving to small business hybrid cloud solutions?

There are several benefits that come with a hybrid cloud solution subscription, but there must be enough preparation done before getting the same. Some requirements include:

• The main aspect is a strong network connectivity that will be able to support the hybrid cloud.
• API compatibility and management support are essential for the purpose of smooth communication when using the hybrid cloud solutions.
• The system must support application migration as the applications on the current system should be capable of working with the cloud computing solution.
• The benefits of cost to the company must be closely evaluated. Also, factors such as I/O requirements and load balancing should be understood before opting for small business hybrid cloud solutions.

What are the means to ensure a successful small business hybrid cloud solutions environment?

• Planning is essential to maintain protection and ensure that the hybrid cloud solutions work as intended.
• The applications must be regularly tested to avoid data downtime, loss of data and other disruption when using the hybrid cloud solution for small businesses.
• It is crucial to future-proof the moves that are undertaken with hybrid cloud solutions. The applications must be protected in case they have to be moved to a new environment in the long term.

There is no doubt in the fact that on-premises environment will never be abolished completely, however, small businesses have found to become more agile and make significant cost savings with the introduction of hybrid cloud solutions in the organization. The move aids in immense ease with IT applications and service, thereby favoring future business magnification.

tags – small business hybrid cloud solutions