In the current technology environment, there are several “flavors” of the cloud that business leaders must consider. Especially as the cloud becomes an increasingly critical resource that companies simply can’t operate without, it is important to understand the different cloud arrangements available and what they can offer the organization. Recently, a large number of firms have been opting for hybrid cloud, which marries the advantages of both public and private clouds.
No matter the type of system chosen, though, cloud performance is key. From a corporate perspective, the reliability and usability of the company’s cloud solution hinges upon the network bandwidth available. In order to ensure that a public, private or hybrid cloud performs as it should, decision-makers must examine their network bandwidth to guarantee that there are enough resources in place to support all of the office’s Internet-based activities.
Study shows rising interest in hybrid cloud
A recent Tech Pro Research survey showed that today’s enterprises are increasingly interested in hybrid cloud arrangements. The study found that most businesses currently utilize a hybrid cloud, or are looking into the technology. Overall, 33 percent noted that they have a hybrid arrangement in place, and 37 percent said they were evaluating a hybrid solution.
But what makes a hybrid cloud different from public and private solutions? ZDNet contributor James Sanders noted that hybrid systems combine a public cloud service provider with a private cloud platform to establish two independently operating infrastructures. In this way, all the benefits of both private and public systems are united in a single arrangement.
“The public and private clouds in a hybrid cloud arrangement are distinct and independent elements,” Sanders wrote. “This allows organizations to store protected or privileged data on a private cloud, while retaining the ability to leverage computational resources from the public cloud to run applications that rely on this data.”
In other words, not only do hybrid cloud adopters have an on-premises and directly accessible infrastructure for more sensitive content, they also have a public platform through their service provider that is flexible and available. Sanders pointed out that those leveraging hybrid clouds reap all kinds of benefits, including an increased ability to integrate resources and more control over the overall platform.
How network bandwidth plays a role
Any type of cloud – public, private or hybrid – being accessed from the business’s premises must have adequate network bandwidth in order to function correctly. Resources stored in the cloud cannot be effectively accessed and utilized without proper bandwidth in place. Information Age contributor Chloe Green pointed out that with so many businesses now using the cloud, any disruptions or delay in these services due to network bandwidth are simple unacceptable.
“[C]loud-based applications – while promising to deliver business requirements such as flexibility, on-demand computer power, improved agility and faster time-to-market – are only as good as the network connections that support them,” Green wrote. “Those connections, especially those that link enterprise branch offices to cloud-based servers, are vital.”
As such, network bandwidth and reliability play very critical roles in cloud performance, and must be considered an essential element of an office’s infrastructure.