Cloud Insights: Why A Hybrid Cloud Setup Affords The Best Of Both Worlds For Organisations

If your organisation is considering moving any of its systems to the cloud, our guide has everything to help make an informed, confident decision.

Cloud computing has become an increasingly popular option for businesses looking to migrate their data and applications. However, many organisations are still hesitant to move away from on-premise systems and fully transition to the cloud. They may be concerned about performance, potential security implications or simply not want to lose close control over their business data.

In this article, we will discuss some of the benefits of cloud computing and provide some insights into why organisations should consider a hybrid cloud setup for all of their digital needs, be it in communication or physical security such as CCTV and Access Control.?

A Silver Lining During Global Chaos

When a global pandemic sent shockwaves across the world and caused most organisations to rethink their working practices virtually overnight, cloud communication tools came into their own. One of the biggest lockdown winners was Zoom, which witnessed a phenomenal increase in demand for its services.?

Writing on the Zoom Blog at the beginning of April 2020, the company's CEO, Eric Yuan, said "usage of Zoom has ballooned overnight." To put the growth into context, Yuan outlined how the maximum number of daily meeting participants hosted on Zoom at the end of December 2019 was approximately 10 million. In March 2020, this figure had jumped to "more than 200 million daily meeting participants," according to Yuan.

One of the driving forces behind Zoom's immense pandemic success (which continues today) is its cloud-based architecture. Without needing to make significant infrastructure investments, organisations had an instant way of facilitating communications between their business users.?

Cloud-based Zoom truly represented a silver lining while the world was dealing with the fallout of an emerging pandemic. Furthermore, now that organisations and business users alike have experienced first-hand the benefits that cloud communications afford, it is highly unlikely we will see their adoption wane going forward.

'Cloud First at the Heart of Digital Transformation'

Promoting the cloud and encouraging businesses to take advantage of it isn't a recent development in the UK, though. In 2013, the UK Government unveiled its?'Cloud?First'?policy, which stated that "public sector organisations should consider and fully evaluate potential cloud solutions first before considering any other option." Moreover, the policy stipulates that this should be "mandatory for central government and strongly recommended to the wider public sector."

Fast forward to more recent times and the UK Government's Cloud First policy is still very relevant. Indeed, an update posted on the?Technology in Government blog in October 2019 states: "Cloud First is as relevant to the government today as it was when it was introduced, and will remain a flagship technology policy." The update also says that Cloud First remains at the heart of the government's digital transformation efforts.

Furthermore, cloud strategies differ between government organisations. For example, the Food Standards Agency has already fully moved to the public cloud. Meanwhile, other departments like the Ministry of Defence have a hybrid, multi-cloud strategy.?

Organisations can take advantage of the cloud differently depending on their individual needs. That's why hybrid cloud strategies are often favoured, as they allow organisations to reap many cloud benefits while retaining a certain level of control on-site.

Hybrid Cloud: The Best of Both Worlds

Organisations are quickly learning that the cloud is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Many are finding that a hybrid cloud setup is the best way to take advantage of all the cloud has to offer while mitigating some of its potential risks.?

But what is a hybrid cloud? It's a cloud computing setup that uses a mix of on-premise, private, and public cloud services. Hybrid cloud setups allow organisations to reap the benefits of cloud computing without giving up complete control of their IT assets.

Here are three reasons why your organisation should consider transitioning to a hybrid cloud setup:

• Flexibility:?One of the biggest advantages of a hybrid cloud setup is that it provides organisations with much-needed flexibility. With a hybrid cloud, businesses can keep certain workloads and data on-premises for security or compliance reasons while leveraging the public cloud for other less sensitive workloads. This allows businesses to tailor their use of the cloud to fit their specific needs and objectives.
• Scalability:?Another big advantage of a hybrid cloud setup is that it's much easier to scale up or down as needed. With on-premises solutions, businesses often have to make significant upfront investments in infrastructure and then hope they don't outgrow it too quickly. With hybrid cloud, businesses can start small and then scale up their use of the public cloud as their needs change.
• Cost Savings:?A hybrid cloud setup can help organisations save money. By keeping specific workloads on-premises, businesses can avoid paying for public cloud services they may not need. And by utilising the public cloud for other workloads, businesses can take advantage of its pay-as-you-go pricing model.

Cloud CCTV and Access Control in Action

One area where a hybrid cloud setup can make a difference is for an organisation's CCTV and Access Control needs. Traditionally, such solutions would require a significant investment in on-site infrastructure. Moreover, organisations would need to choose a strategic partner to help with the installation and train their IT teams to support the solution going forward.

Hybrid cloud CCTV and Access Control solutions see organisations retain on-site storage facilities with backup storage in the cloud, as well as remote monitoring and management capabilities.?

Perhaps the biggest benefit of such setups is how they mitigate risk and boost business continuity. For example, by backing data up to the cloud, businesses reduce the risk of losing it due to a serious event or incident, like fire, flooding or a hardware failure, at their premises. This safeguards the critical data and allows organisations to continue functioning even in a serious incident.

Moreover, hybrid cloud CCTV and Access Control setups also enable remote access. With hybrid working now a core aspect in many organisations, such functionality is more important than ever, allowing employees to retain the work-life balances they've become accustomed to in recent times.

At Ajar Technology, we have helped many organisations realise their cloud ambitions. We work with them to understand their needs and implement a solution that is fit for purpose. One such example is the project we undertook for a UK Ambulance Service, which had a requirement to protect its bunkered fuel tanks across its estate. Due to the complexity and dispersed nature of the locations, a purely physical security solution would not be suitable.?

With the implemented cloud setup, the Ambulance Service personnel can securely monitor their sites with access to both live and recorded CCTV footage from anywhere with an internet connection. Since this first project, the Service have implemented further cloud technology across their wider estate.?

For more in-depth insights on our project with the UK Ambulance Service, read the full case study here.

Interested in the benefits of a hybrid cloud setup for your CCTV and Access Control needs but still not quite sure of the solution you need? Our team of experts can help you identify the best option for your organisation. Contact us?today.