EXPERT SPEAK
Managing multiple clouds requires
great skill and understanding of
each platform.
EM
EA
Clo
ud
S
ales
Manager at Zerto
H
ybrid cloud was the first real instance
where we saw this combination;
IT teams realised that they could
get the best of security and scalability by
combining on-premises solutions with third
party, public providers. Multi cloud is the
same concept, but goes one step further
than hybrid cloud, and channel partners are
uniquely positioned to advise IT customers
on how they can make the most of their IT
environments by taking advantage of this
latest trend.
What is ‘multi cloud’ and where
does the channel fit in?
The term ‘multi cloud’ is used to describe
an IT environment that is built from
multiple cloud services – this could be any
combination of private, public and on-
For channel partners
to get the most out of
multi-cloud offerings,
it is essential that they
make strong alliances
with key technology
vendors.
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS
INTELLIGENT
TECH CHANNELS
Issue 24
premises. More often than not a multi-cloud strategy will include
at least one public cloud provider, the likes of AWS or Azure, for
example. By taking a ‘mix and match’ approach organisations are able
to select the best solutions and services for the individual needs of
each workload, providing much needed flexibility to change as and
when IT and business priorities do, all while avoiding vendor lock-in.
However, research reported by IDC showed that, while 40% of
European organisations already stretch applications across multiple
clouds, only a few pioneers have a policy that is viable long term
because organisations are not making the necessary technology and
process adjustments.
Managing multiple clouds requires great skill and understanding
of each platform, and without this, organisations run the risk of
bypassing any benefit at all. With this in mind, the time is absolutely
now for channel partners, particularly cloud service providers (CSPs),
to help demonstrate the value of adopting a versatile cloud strategy.
In turn, they can expect healthy margins.
Known for their ability to find the best in each cloud, CSPs
are well equipped to assist organisations with the deployment,
management and upgrade of cloud services. The success of hybrid
cloud is, at least in part, owing to the advice that these businesses
offer end-users. The next step in this evolution is understanding
how applications interact and integrate between public clouds
rather than simply on- and off-premises. If a CSP can master that,
therein lies another route to revenue.
For channel partners to get the most out of multi-cloud offerings,
it is essential that they make strong alliances with key technology
vendors. In particular, software that can act as a universal platform
across all clouds, for areas such as workload mobility and protection,
will define the success of multi cloud as a long-standing IT strategy.
Integrated management and analytics capabilities also allow for CSPs
to have a centralised overview of their end-user’s environments to
help best recommend standardising workflows for optimal output.
In summary, a strong technology foundation, in conjunction with the
management and expertise layer offered by channel partners, is the
secret recipe for success.
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