The door to the cloud and all its operational efficiency is well and truly open for business.
However, with numerous cloud platforms available, it can be difficult for your firm to find a single provider that offers everything you need.
A multi-cloud strategy is one solution that can tackle that issue. But what exactly is multi-cloud? And, how does it differ from a hybrid cloud strategy?
Let’s answer those questions and take a closer look at what multi-cloud can do for your business:
What is multi-cloud?
Here’s our definition of multi-cloud:
Multi-cloud is the use and integration of multiple public cloud-hosting platforms which are each used for specific technological and business needs. For example, one could be used as a database and another for user authentication.
With multi-cloud, you’re deliberately spreading your usage across various public cloud providers. Some are better at a task than others. For example, you can store your client contacts on a database in Microsoft Azure, and backup the database to Asigra using their cloud solution.
How is it different from a hybrid?
Now that we’ve covered the meaning of multi-cloud, It’s important to establish how it differs from a hybrid.
A hybrid cloud combines public cloud-hosting platforms with a private cloud or on-premise infrastructure. It means that a business has partly migrated some of their business operations to the cloud while some remain in place in a legacy, on-premise system.
A hybrid cloud blends two or more different types of clouds (public and private), while multi-cloud blends two or more public clouds.
Let’s move on to why organisations are choosing a multi-cloud solution for their business operations.
Why are organisations adopting multi-cloud?
Eighty-one percent of public cloud-users leverage a multi-cloud solution.
Let’s have a deeper look into why:
- It avoids vendor lock-in. This eliminates the reliance on a single provider for all business operations.
- It’s secure. Multi-cloud solutions inherit best-in-class cybersecurity resources from each platform.
- It offers a rounded view of your data. Users can get the insights required to make better business decisions.
- It supports cross-department collaboration. Operations can be linked across different teams, supporting innovation and fostering communication.
- It offers a choice. Multi-cloud is an attractive solution that allows businesses to pick the best tools for every job.
- Better disaster recovery. An effective multi-cloud solution will help improve the planning and success of an IT disaster recovery strategy with robust backup options.
Strict regulations and ethics define the legal industry. Multi-cloud offers users a modern, safe and efficient approach where they can prioritise client-friendly operations.
The right fit for your firm
Cloud environments can be as tailored and diverse as the business owning them.
The pillars of your law firm’s cloud strategy should include security, compliance and flexibility, regardless of whether you opt for a hybrid or multi-cloud environment. Ultimately, your cloud computing technology should work with your firm’s needs, not against them.
If you’d like to discuss the ins and outs of cloud computing in further depth, please get in touch with our team.
