It is critical to understand that cloud is a tool , not a destination . For years , the cloud has been thought of as somewhere an organization ‘ goes ’ and , by doing so , the business is magically transformed .

Unfortunately , this ‘ destination ’ mindset has led enterprises to try and shift all their applications to a single cloud provider in a bid to get ‘ out of the data center business ’ – regardless of the specific nuances of each individual workload .

But just as every business is unique , the same is true of every application , every workload and every dataset a business relies on .

As the enterprise understanding of cloud has matured , ‘ cloud first ’ initiatives have evolved into ‘ hybrid multicloud ’ strategies .

Hybrid multi-cloud approaches are anchored in an understanding that there is no ‘ one size fits all ’ when it comes to cloud .

Some applications might be suited to one public cloud provider , some to a different public cloud , while others might need the control and security of private cloud , or the proximity to far-flung devices and sensors that only an edge cloud can provide .

Further , the best place for an application today might not be the best place for the same workload tomorrow . Navigating cloud complexity comes down to breaking down the silos between different clouds and allowing business needs to dictate where applications run .

Hybrid multi-cloud management platforms , like Nutanix , sit at the center of an enterprise ’ s cloud architecture and unlock the freedom and flexibility to shift apps and data back and forth between multiple cloud providers as required , at the same pace that business needs change .

For any organization struggling with cloud complexity , the first step should be performing an internal audit of each application to understand which infrastructure best suits its specific requirements .

Then , instead of asking ‘ how do I get to the cloud ?’ the best question to ask is ‘ how do I best use cloud for my business ?’

Enabling your business to respond rapidly to anything the world throws at it – and in recent years we ’ ve seen that can be anything – requires a hybrid multi-cloud model that gives you flexibility and freedom of choice to use the infrastructure that best fits each application .

The best place for an application today might not be the best place for the same workload tomorrow .

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Intelligent CIO North America Issue 27 | Page 33

It is critical to understand that cloud is a tool , not a destination . For years , the cloud has been thought of as somewhere an organization ‘ goes ’ and , by doing so , the business is magically transformed .