# Multicloud

## Summary


**Multicloud** (multi-cloud or multi cloud) is a cloud computing strategy. It involves utilizing multiple cloud platforms and services from different vendors within a single IT architecture. The primary purpose of this approach is to enhance cloud infrastructure capabilities, increase flexibility, and optimize costs. Multicloud describes how cloud resources, such as software, applications, and data, are distributed across various cloud hosting environments, which may include public, private, or hybrid clouds..  

Multicloud combines two or more cloud platforms. The mulicloud architecture usually has minimum two independent public cloud platforms. These platforms are either public or private. 

Multicloud deployment has various benefits. For example, using multiple IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS vendors, including different cloud vendors for different services, excess and system backup.

## Discussion

### How can we understand multicloud with an example?

Let's understand multicloud with an example:

Imagine a medium-sized e-commerce company, "TechMart," that wants to leverage cloud computing to enhance its online store and customer experience. To achieve their goals, they decide to adopt a multicloud strategy. Here's how they use multicloud:

**Web Application Hosting:** TechMart chooses to host its web application on AWS (Amazon Web Services) due to its robust and scalable infrastructure. AWS provides excellent support for web hosting, allowing TechMart to handle fluctuating traffic during peak shopping seasons efficiently.

**Data Storage and Analytics:** TechMart deals with a large volume of customer and transaction data. To optimize data storage costs and performance, they decide to use Microsoft Azure's cloud data services. Azure offers a wide range of data storage options and advanced analytics tools that suit their needs.

**Email and Communication Services:** For seamless email communication with customers and employees, TechMart selects Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for its reliable and feature-rich email services.

**Disaster Recovery:** To ensure business continuity and data redundancy, TechMart also maintains a private cloud in their on-premises data center. This private cloud acts as a disaster recovery environment, replicating critical data from the public cloud providers.  


### What are the benefits of multicloud approach?

A multicloud approach gives multiple options to a company. Some advantages of multicloud are: 

Stakeholders can choose the most effective solution. They can distribute resources among cloud providers. They need to pay only for their usage based on business needs.  Enterprises gain better computing resources and higher cloud security. They have reduced outages and vendor lock-in risks. SLAs between various service providers secure customers from failures or downtime. Multicloud aids enterprises to optimize service, price, and resources. It also improves data security and interaction flexibly. 

Multicloud allows selecting suitable components and cloud services. they can be selected from various vendors based on business needs. It is based on factors like cost, performance, security, compliance, and location preferences. It provides quick adoption of new technologies from any vendor. Businesses need a strong strategy and governance framework for a successful multicloud implementation.


### What is the difference between multicloud, hybrid cloud and polycloud?

**Multicloud** refers to the practice of using services and resources from more than one cloud companies. In a multicloud setup, an company would possibly use one cloud provider for positive workloads or packages and every other cloud issuer for exclusive tasks. The intention is to leverage the strengths of every cloud issuer even as avoiding supplier lock-in and ensuring redundancy.  

**Hybrid cloud**, uses both on-premises hardware and cloud hosting. It could lead to a shift to a public cloud. A hybrid cloud lets businesses connect their existing infrastructure. And also, the employees' skill sets to a more cloud-centered future. 

**Polycloud** is a general term that encompasses any cloud computing infrastructure that uses multiple clouds. It can be public, private, or hybrid. This term includes both multicloud and hybrid cloud environments. The key difference is that multicloud does not specify the exact combination of clouds used, whereas multicloud and hybrid cloud are more specific about their configurations 


### What are the some of the use cases for multicloud?

Businesses use a variety of cloud platforms and services. This helps with their digital transformation.

Companies are choosing to deploy apps on public, private, and edge clouds. This best serves their business goals and application requirements. Cloud Smart has taken the position of Cloud First.  

Data backup and storage are dependable. They are simpler and less expensive. Concerns about cloud spending, data control, vendor dependence, and lock-in are increasing. Hence, businesses will keep spreading their estate across various surroundings.

Applications need to be closer to physical objects and users. So, they need to be deployed to the edge. This improves automation, efficiency, and consumer experiences. The sectors include logistics, retail, and manufacturing. 

The hybrid workforce problem is growing. It's challenging to secure, manage, and enable workers, and their devices. So that, they can be productive everywhre. 


### What type of challenges can occur in case of multicloud?

IT businesses are adopting multicloud environments. The challenges in achieving their objectives are becoming more visible as: 

Different workflow and management tools can be expensive. They can cause excess storage and more infrastructure-complexity. Operating multiple clouds requires expertise. They need more time and human resources. Vendors may employ various strategies or tactics to manage challenges. So, simple processes like providing resource become complicated. They have unique portals, APIs, and processes. They need to be controlled. 

A company would be more exposed to potential threats and weaknesses. Thus, more work is required for effective security, governance, and consent. Businesses keep introducing new multi-platform tools. Hence, IT leaders need to retrain workers frequently. Companies struggle to recruit employees with the necessary multicloud expertise. It's challenging to adapt quickly to new innovations. The provider maturity levels and API, vary. Multicloud can make these tasks challenging. 

## Milestones

2011

The hybrid cloud concept is introduced. It requires an interaction between a private and public cloud. It needs the ability to shift workloads between the two clouds. 

2012

Multicloud appears when businesses begin to use SaaS providers. These include human resources, customer relations management, and supply chain management. 

2013

Multi-cloud trend starts gaining popularity. 

2018

The analyst firm Forrester conducts a survey on behalf of Virtustream. It includes cloud strategy and application management decision makers in the US, EMEA, and APAC. The majority of them characterize their organizations' cloud strategy as "multicloud." There are 727 respondents to the survey. 86% of them use multiple public and private clouds for different application workloads.