In the age of digital transformation age, the hybrid cloud has emerged as a vital catalyst for organisations attempting to navigate and succeed in a quickly changing landscape. The use of cutting-edge technology like big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, enables businesses to harness innovation and improve decision-making. 

Executives surveyed by HPE overwhelmingly agree that a hybrid cloud strategy is the best mix of technologies for achieving their company objectives. According to their data, 91% of organisations now use the operational model in some form: 33% use a combination of private and public clouds and 31% use a combination of private and public clouds as well as on-premises. 

Global enterprise leaders believe that “Having a hybrid cloud gives you the flexibility to operate and  better control that works best for the organisation and seamless integration to build digital products and services with agility and moving data across different environments that enables business growth and new revenue streams including when you are going to acquire a company and want to take their existing legacy, on-premises systems and move them into one of those existing cloud components.” 

Singaporean organisations have proven a strong commitment to technological innovation through the widespread deployment of cloud strategies. Recognising the need for flexibility and scalability in the digital age, organisations in Singapore are embracing hybrid cloud solutions to seamlessly connect on-premises infrastructure with public and private cloud services. 

Enhancing operational efficiency, facilitating digital transformation, and capitalising on emerging opportunities are the strategic objectives driving Singapore’s embrace of hybrid cloud. Hybrid cloud offers businesses the benefits of combining private and public clouds, but without a well-defined plan, it can lead to a disjointed and ineffective hybrid data and cloud environment, failing to deliver expected benefits. 

To avoid this, organisations must embrace a more strategic hybrid cloud approach and simplify data management, shifting from hybrid cloud by accident to hybrid cloud by design to enhance their cloud operating model. 

 Hybrid Cloud to Control and Harness Data 

Hybrid cloud technology is a highly effective infrastructure design for managing performance, cost, and security by maximising control over data storage and processing. With the rapid growth of edge data, organisations are focusing on processing data closer to its source, reducing friction and latency, and improving performance.  

This approach also provides flexibility for sensitive data and high-security situations, allowing organisations to lock down information on a more secure storage system. By maximising control over data storage and processing, hybrid structures enable organisations to regulate performance, cost, and security. The rise of edge data allows organisations to process data closer to its source, reducing friction and latency while offering greater flexibility for sensitive data and secure storage solutions. 

Turning Data into Intelligence with Hybrid Cloud 

Data on its own can be a useful thing. But can you turn your data into intelligence? That’s where a business can find a competitive advantage. Respondents reported that cloud technology allows faster data response and increased resilience, resulting in less downtime and more flexibility, ensuring regular and reliable intelligence generation, compared to on-premises environments.  

A hybrid cloud is a powerful tool for managing large amounts of data created and stored at the edge, ensuring data processing is close to its origin. This solution generates reliable intelligence and requires a single source of truth, which is the aggregation of multiple data sources into a single dataset. This single source of truth doesn’t necessarily mean all data is stored on a single server or database, but rather all data sources act in unison wherever they occur. Hybrid cloud architecture allows data to reside anywhere but still be treated as a unified source, making it a crucial component in achieving a single source of truth. 

Hybrid Cloud Security Solutions 

When it comes to a Hybrid Cloud, there is no finish line to security. Organisations must gauge their willingness to embrace risk, as an exclusive private cloud might seem the safest. However, despite the perception that the private cloud is the pinnacle of security, the benefits of a hybrid cloud far outweigh this belief. It’s important to note that the hybrid model isn’t inherently insecure just because the private cloud is often seen as more secure. 

Hybrid cloud provides organisations with flexibility in implementing security across all layers of legacy systems, on-premise private cloud, and cloud-based data. It allows deeper lockdowns, outsourcing to expert providers, secure connections through tunnels, and reduces time spent monitoring security subsystems and compliance risks. 

Additionally, VPNs can also help mitigate data compromise risks when data transmits between Legacy systems, on-premises and cloud. A hybrid cloud also introduces redundancy, allowing for backup plans and minimising downtime. Overall, the hybrid cloud helps reduce risk and allows organisations to focus on their business.