The word “cloud” itself implies something intangible, ever changing and, in fact, dreamlike. Where cloud tech is concerned, the combination of the fact that it’s relatively new, as least as product, and that it does entail relinquishing some control in some regards might be putting some business off.

At the end of the day, if you are running a serious business, you want to know what’s going on with your sensitive data. The hybrid cloud, the most popular type, is a very good stab at adding some control to the cloud.

Hybrid Cloud?

Gartner, Inc. defines a hybrid cloud service as a cloud computing service that is composed of some combination of private, public and community cloud services, from different service providers.

Varied use cases for hybrid cloud composition exist. For example, an organization may store sensitive client data in-house on a private cloud application, but interconnect that application to a billing application provided on a public cloud as a software service.

A survey conducted by Right Scale earlier this year found that small businesses—under 1,000 employees, in this case—were cloud focused, meaning that they use the technology extensively, 26% of the time. A smaller percentage, 18%, of businesses with over 1,000 employees were cloud focused, but a full 31% of them were actively exploring it as an IT solution. You can take a look at it here.

One of the reasons it has taken off, this combining of public and private clouds, is that it does offer a good degree of control over information. On top of that, by utilizing hybrid cloud architecture, companies are able to obtain degrees of fault tolerance combined with locally immediate usability without dependency on internet connectivity.

An Umbrella for Rainy Days?

Servers break down, security is sometimes compromised and even fiber optic lines can be damaged. However, by putting the most mission-critical information in a private cloud and the less important information in a public cloud, businesses can insulate themselves from the worst disasters.

Security is tighter on the private cloud, where it matters most. The public cloud offers a place to store and use information that’s not as vital or sensitive with all the advantages cloud tech offers.

It’s only natural that a new, revolutionary technology like cloud computing finds some initial resistance. However, with the number of advantages it offers, especially in its hybrid form, the cloud is here to stay. There’s no mystery in another of the RightScale survey’s key results: almost 90% of those surveyed were moving toward a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Guest Author: Santiago Marin

Santiago is a seasoned director-level IT & software professional who has 15 years of international sales experience. His Channel Development and Management has focused on Retailers, SMEs, OEMs, Distributors, VARs and ISVs. He has developed global accounts and forged strategic partnerships with a number of high profile clients (C-Level) across the EMEA, the USA and beyond. He is an EU citizen (Spanish & British) and has US Permanent Residence. He is currently exploring new career opportunities.

http://www.santiagomarin.com/