In today's interconnected and data-driven ecosystem, businesses operate in a dynamic landscape where the cloud reigns supreme. It's a multicloud world, with organizations making investments across private and public environments faster than ever. A steady stream of new capabilities and tools demonstrate the power of cloud computing as they spin up at the edge to manage the massive influx of data generated in real time.
Now, more clouds are rolling in. Telecom and sovereign clouds and vertical industry clouds provide support, applications, and requirements specific to healthcare, finance, government, retail, and even media. These industry-specific clouds allow organizations to leverage tailored solutions and unlock new possibilities in their respective domains.
While this is great news for organizations looking to maximize the value of their cloud investment and meet critical business objectives, it complicates the multicloud landscape. The proliferation of these very specialized clouds can create yet more silos if organizations aren't able to move data and apps freely between them. With only 5% of organizations in the UK defined as Innovation Leaders and Adopters, those that want to adopt a multicloud infrastructure must prioritize innovation in the technology to strengthen their transformation in the face of global challenges.
A robust multicloud strategy ensures that organisations benefit from the efficiencies of public clouds, like flexibility and scale, and bring these on premises with the advantages of performance, control, and security. To succeed, developing such a strategy requires careful consideration and planning to navigate the intricacies of multiple cloud environments.
Steve Young is the MD for the UK at Dell Technologies.
Less is more…complexity
When building a strategy, some may say the obvious answer is a monolithic cloud approach – pick one platform with one provider and rely on their apps and small pool of partners. But this approach can stunt innovation.
Closed platforms are the proverbial walled garden in the cloud and developer ecosystem, decreasing integration and leading to vendor lock-in. While it may initially seem simple, organizations miss out in the long run by limiting themselves to a proprietary set of services that impact their ability to access and adopt future industry innovations easily.
Too often, organizations that invest across multiple clouds and services are left to figure out the disparate pieces independently. Workarounds take time and resources away from innovation and productivity. According to IDC, two-thirds of organizations (66%) want to deal with fewer, more strategic digital infrastructure and cloud vendors, and 68% said investing in ways that avoid vendor lock-in is essential.
Organizations want these clouds, apps, platforms, and services to work together seamlessly. They want multicloud by design, not by default. But they don't necessarily want a single service provider – they want a more straightforward way to manage and orchestrate data and apps across multiple cloud environments. While the nirvana state is to get a singular view, a more realistic goal may be to reduce the number of unique siloed tools for cloud management and orchestration to enhance value.
More open, less ego
We see the solution to multicloud complexity differently: Break down silos and build an open ecosystem that thrives on a wide range of partnerships, collaboration, and innovation.
Multicloud is not just a random collection of public clouds or even those clouds' loose connections to private clouds. Multicloud is about accessing an ever-expanding set of innovations across clouds and acknowledging that you need the capabilities of the entire ecosystem to deliver modern IT.
That's where open ecosystems come in. They allow for interoperability and deeper integration across solutions and services – providing greater access to innovation from various providers. This way, the technology not only works, but it also works how organizations need it to. If we want to unleash data-driven breakthroughs through AI and automation powered by cloud computing, it has to.
In the era of AI and automation powered by cloud computing, an open ecosystem is crucial for unlocking the full potential of data-driven breakthroughs. It enables organizations to access cutting-edge technologies and advancements from various sources, accelerating their digital transformation journeys and positioning them at the forefront of their industries.
No single company or innovator will deliver on the promise of technology. Nor should they. That makes the technology industry so incredibly vibrant – relentless innovation that pushes the boundaries of possibilities to solve the world's greatest challenges.
Open ecosystems foster collaboration and cooperation among different players in the multicloud market. They provide a framework where organizations can leverage the strengths of multiple cloud providers, specialized industry clouds, and other service providers without being constrained by proprietary solutions or vendor lock-in.
Embracing an open ecosystem is the key to overcoming multicloud complexity. By breaking down silos, promoting collaboration, and leveraging the strengths of multiple providers, organizations can tap into a wealth of resources, expertise, and innovation. This approach paves the way for seamless integration, enhanced performance, and the ability to adapt and adopt future industry innovations easily. In the multicloud world, an open ecosystem is the pathway to success.
