Organisations are looking to hybrid cloud storage to support a variety of workloads. Data backup is the most popular use case, with 64% of respondents reporting deployment or plans to deploy. Web infrastructure (52%), application dev/test (48%) and technical applications (43%) are also driving the adoption of hybrid cloud storage products and services. The research reveals that larger organisations (2,500 employees or more) are adopting the approach most rapidly, with 82% planning to deploy in the next 12 months.
Decisions about whether to adopt hybrid cloud storage are being driven by multiple factors such as external and internal data governance rules. 59% of respondents report that not all of their data can go to the public cloud, and that more than half of their data must remain on site. Most commonly cited among the data types that must remain on premises are financial data and customer records. Reasons named most commonly are security, governance and compliance rules, driven by both internal policy and external regulation.
When considering a hybrid cloud storage strategy, concerns about interoperability between on-premises and public cloud storage (40%) are only exceeded by those around security (62%) and cost (55%). 76% of respondents moving to hybrid cloud storage have yet to decide which interface to adopt.
“Hybrid cloud is very much the future and the results of Cloudian’s research efforts bear that out,” says Scott D. Lowe, partner at ActualTech Media. “Although the public cloud is enticing, there remain technical, security, cost, and regulatory hurdles that can be difficult to overcome for many. Users are looking for options to capitalise on the value of both cloud and on-premises storage. However, this research shows that significant confusion remains about what’s available and how the underlying technology works.”
“Public cloud has made a huge impact on the storage industry, and while it’s the venue of choice for many data types, at present, it’s not right for everyone in every circumstance,” explained Jon Toor, chief marketing officer at Cloudian. “For those who need to keep specific data types on premises, a hybrid approach can deliver the best of both worlds, especially when their on-premises and cloud storage technologies are highly compatible with each other.”
