EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

A multi-cloud strategy offers a range of valuable business benefits including flexibility , scalability , increased efficiencies , lowered costs and access to cutting-edge technologies . But with great power comes great responsibility , and risk .

Cloud cost management : Implement FinOps enabled cost optimisation and governance model to automate cloud expenditure visibility , resource usage and identify opportunities for cost savings across providers .

Multi-cloud disaster recovery : Develop a comprehensive automated DR runbook that accounts for outages or disruptions in any of your cloud environments while assuring seamless business continuity .

Invest in the right expertise : Upskill your IT team and consider partnering with cloud security specialists .

Based on Nutanix ’ s latest Enterprise Cloud Index 2024 research published in March this year , the main findings were as follows . 90 % of ECI respondents are taking a cloud smart approach to their infrastructure strategy , leveraging the best environment , example data centre , public cloud , edge for each of their applications . It is no wonder that hybrid and multi-cloud environments have become the de facto infrastructure standard .

Enterprises navigating these dynamic environments need an approach that avoids the potential pitfalls associated with multiple clouds . Here is how to navigate the multi-cloud world with confidence .

Security : Segregated services across multiple clouds increase the attack surface which expose high threats of ransomware and various malicious vulnerabilities .

Over 80 % of organisations believe hybrid IT environments are most beneficial to their ability to manage applications and data . 78 % of organisations are planning to invest more in security strategies for multi-cloud . 37 % indicated that their AI based applications require the modernisation that multicloud offerings can grant them if all challenges are governed with a standard cloud operating model .

De-risking involves the following steps :

Vendor lock-in : Over-reliance on a single vendor , cloud provider can limit flexibility and inflate costs .

Data residency and Compliance : Regulations governing data storage and privacy vary by region .

Integration complexity : Managing and integrating applications across multiple cloud platforms can be challenging .

Build the standard cloud operating model : Invest in building a cloud operating model that caters for international hyper-scalers , as well as local cloud providers , while being able to operate on-premises environments .

Embrace portability : Choose a cloud operating model that relies on open standards and easy data migration capabilities . This reduces vendor lock-in and simplifies future cloud transitions .

Skills shortage : Acquiring high calibre talent and skills to run multi-cloud environments remains a challenge in the IT market .

By adopting a proactive risk mitigation approach , organisations can harness the full potential of the multicloud world while minimising potential disruptions . p

MOHAMMAD WAHBA , DIRECTOR SYSTEMS

ENGINEERING , MIDDLE EAST , NUTANIX

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