RightScale: Enterprises Prefer Hybrid Cloud

Cloud management platform provider RightScale yesterday released the results of its 2014 State of the Cloud Survey, which provided insight into the adoption of hybrid, private and public clouds across multiple industries. And according to survey researchers, more enterprises want hybrid clouds.

The survey revealed that many enterprises use combinations of hybrid, private and public clouds. However, researchers noted that 74 percent of enterprise respondents said that they have a multi-cloud strategy, and 48 percent are planning for hybrid clouds. Among the 74 percent of enterprises that have a multi-cloud stratregy, more than half of those are already using both private and public clouds.

So why are more enterprises interested in hybrid clouds? Michael Crandell, founder and CEO of RightScale, pointed out that many organizations still are learning about cloud computing. As more of these organizations understand what they want to get out of the cloud, many of them are finding that a hybrid cloud implementation enables them to choose the best type of cloud for each particular application or to span both private and public clouds seamlessly.

“Enterprises are adopting cloud computing in record numbers and have leveraged growing experience to overcome many of the early challenges, including security,” Crandell said, in the company’s press release, announcing the survey’s results. “Large enterprises are complex and understandably deliberate in cloud adoption, yet with increased adoption, they continue to unlock more value.”

Several cloud services providers are embracing the hybrid cloud as well. For example, HP Services launched a new version of CloudSystem in January that enables customers to manage and deploy clouds from a single user interface. The latest CloudSystem release features an open and flexible architecture based on HP Cloud OS that operates across multiple hybrid clouds.

In addition, IBM is investing in the cloud. IBM’s cloud revenue grew 80 percent in 2012, and with its acquisition of SoftLayer Technologies last July, IBM could bolster its hybrid cloud offerings.

“Cloud computing provides a profound and transformative change in business and government,” James Comfort, General Manager of IBM’s cloud services division, said in a press release announcing that deal. “With SoftLayer in IBM’s portfolio, it will be easier and faster for organizations to adopt game-changing cloud services.”