Rethinking the Cloud in India

Matthew Hardman
Chief Technology Officer for APAC

June 11, 2024

The Data Deluge: Embracing Hybrid Cloud for Agility

Cloud unlocks tremendous potential, but it’s not a silver bullet. Data growth and siloed storage present complex challenges. Businesses need a flexible hybrid approach to access data across environments, optimize costs, and break free from vendor lock-in. This empowers true data-driven decision making in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

The technology industry has long been synonymous with driving change – from benefits to society and the economy, to global connection and culture. But what does change mean for business and technology leaders in 2024? For many, it means delivering on the right business outcomes for their organization, which could mean increased profitability, better customer service, or a stronger competitor advantage. Watch our Video on why it’s time to rethink the cloud: Challenges and Opportunities for Data-Driven Businesses.

Today, technology is developing at an unprecedented pace, marking a huge shift from what has previously been seen within the industry. The birth of web services during my days as a developer represented a significant moment – but crucially, it was the only key technology at play during that time. In 2024, there’s no shortage of new technological developments, from automation and AI to analytics and GPU-driven applications.

By now, most agree that cloud is key for the delivery of these desired outcomes and improved customer service and provides the architecture that underpins them all. And powering all of this? Data. Data is also being created at an exponential rate – and we’re not only getting more of it, but more variability in type. Furthermore, data is generated and collected everywhere – whether from the edge to the core, to the data center or to the cloud.

Read Our Blog to learn why it’s Time to Rethink the Cloud.

Cool to be Cloud – but Complexity Lurks

More and more, businesses are realizing the need to utilize cloud technology to harness their data to enable positive outcomes. But this is no easy task. While the cloud comes with a whole host of benefits – from the incredible ability to access new technologies, to the cost effectiveness of doing things quickly and easily – it also comes with challenges and complexities.

One such complexity is the cost of not only running but moving data across multiple clouds. In today’s fast-paced world, businesses need a data platform that enables flexibility and stops them being held ransom to cloud providers with immovable restrictions. The ability to make new decisions and access new options around how data is collected, consumed, and brought to different services is more important than ever. Watch Our Webinar: A Balanced Approach to Cloud Cost, Speed & Quality: Hitachi CloudFinOps Services.

These challenges apply even to cloud hyperscalers who are facing increasing pressure to deliver hybrid cloud services in new ways. In the past, we might have thought of hybrid cloud exclusively as infrastructure on-prem, while the cloud was used for services – but this is changing. For some, hybrid cloud now means taking existing infrastructure on-prem and pushing it towards the public cloud, while others are moving cloud services on-prem. Effectively, hybrid cloud is a more complex beast than we might have imagined – but it is one that enables businesses with the choice and freedom they require to navigate today’s digital landscape.

Watch Our Webinar: Customer Journey: Lowering Cloud Cost and Driving Innovation

Breaking Free: Hybrid Cloud and the Myth of Immovable Data

Another consideration for businesses looking to leverage the cloud for their data is the question of how much data they really need. Data is often talked about as the new oil of the digital economy, the world’s most valuable resource. Let’s think of it in those terms – when we put oil or fuel in our car, we don’t keep it forever. It’s consumed to power the outcome.

We need to think the same way about data. Data does not necessarily need to be replicated in every single location, and in fact, this does not support or work towards the goal of innovation through data. Businesses should explore replicating data into allocation, processing it with the service that needs to be utilized, and then deleting it.

This logic also applies to the training of large language models for AI through huge datasets. Once trained, there’s no need to keep the data sitting there with the model – while it will be needed for incremental training over time, this is not an everyday occurrence. It’s much more beneficial to delete the data that isn’t needed to clear storage space and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Changing our Mindset and Leading with Intention

Businesses need to consider the outcome and benefit they’re hoping to achieve through hybrid cloud from the start. This is critical to guiding your approach and ensuring you choose the right cloud provider for you.

The first step we must take is to challenge ourselves to view hybrid cloud differently: as a distributed architecture through which we can gain better control. There’s a risk that our perception of the data and where it is can make us feel locked in, but what’s key is making it accessible from the cloud, on-prem, and edge, to truly enable ultimate flexibility.

There’s no one-fits-all answer to the question of what’s best for your business – it entirely depends on your workloads and capabilities. But these things change. Those organizations hoping to become truly data-driven will find that access to different clouds, as and when they need them, is critical to successfully navigate the fast-paced changes of today’s technological era. See our infographic: Top Ten Reasons Why Businesses are Moving to Hybrid Cloud.

Conclusion

The data deluge of 2024 demands a new approach. Businesses that cling to outdated, siloed data storage will struggle to keep pace with the rapid tech advancements. By embracing a strategic hybrid cloud approach, you can unlock the true potential of your data, optimize costs, and gain the agility needed to thrive in this ever-changing digital landscape. Don't get bogged down by data – harness its power!

Ready to break free from data silos and unlock the power of hybrid cloud? Talk to an expert or learn how we can help you define a path to hybrid cloud and future-proof your Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure.