In this blog series, we’ve explored public, private, and community cloud deployments. The final cloud solution is that of a hybrid cloud. Hybrid deployments combine the advantages of private and public cloud systems, ensuring information can be shared between on-site systems and those housed in the cloud. 

Hybrid clouds are meant to operate independently and any data shared between communication channels are highly encrypted. It’s been a widely adopted deployment model and the market is projected to grow to $97.6 billion by 2023.

While many businesses view a public or private cloud as an “either-or” situation, large organizations are able to tap into both options. Let’s break down the pros and cons of a hybrid cloud.

Hybrid Cloud Benefits

Control, Performance, and Scalability

Offering a blend of public and private servers, organizations can utilize the scalability offered by a public cloud without giving away control to an outside party. 

Cost-Effective

While it’s an investment upfront, organizations only have to pay for the public cloud portion of their infrastructure when it’s needed. Since hybrid deployments are scalable, it makes changes in business goals less expensive down the line.

Flexibility

Having the option of both public and private clouds, companies have numerous options when it is required to choose what service is best for each need. It lets organizations be agile enough to handle the needs of its customers and clients.

Disadvantages

Complexity

Because of its nature, effective and ongoing security can be a difficult process. Every point where data is transmitted between locations is a new point of vulnerability.

Compatibility

A high-performing on-site infrastructure may not be able to work with a slow-performing public infrastructure. This combination can result in a sluggish performance of the hybrid cloud. It can become a challenge when an organization operates with dual-levels of infrastructure.

Up Front Expense

While hybrid deployments save money long-term, the initial startup cost is much higher than the setup cost of a public cloud. In the case of a hybrid deployment, specific hardware must be used to deploy on premise and can become very costly.

Along with other cloud computing models, the implementation of the hybrid cloud has grown over the past few years. The disadvantages are important to consider but with the correct mix of experts and resources, a hybrid cloud deployment is a great choice for organizations.