Finding a balance for secure and scalable hybrid cloud transformation

The conversation about hybrid cloud is constantly evolving, as is the ideal model for hybrid cloud transformation. Where “experts” once pushed us all towards all-cloud-everything, organisations realised that many of their workloads were unsuitable for the public cloud because of security, compliance, and cost.

So, my goal here isn’t to prescribe a surefire deployment ratio for each environment. What makes sense this year will likely be different next year. As Patrick Moore has articulated so well, the Goldilocks principle will lead enterprises to “just the right amount” of cloud. However, some form of hybrid cloud transformation will always be essential.?

According to Gartner, By 2027, 85% of the workload placements made until 2022 will no longer be optimal due to changing requirements. As a result, finding the ideal workload placement and data migration strategy will be a top priority for ongoing hybrid cloud transformation. IDC has predicted that by 2025, 40% of companies across Asia Pacific will adopt multi-cloud data logistic platforms to enable active data migration between hyper-scalers to optimise costs, reduce vendor dependencies, and improve governance.

Business needs drive hybrid cloud transformation

What shouldn’t be lost in the discussion of hybrid cloud transformation is that business needs will be the key driving force, not technology trends. While new capabilities are always welcome, adoption will always be tied to business outcomes.

We know that the current business environment requires the ability to:

• scale workloads and capacity quickly to seize growth opportunities
• drive constant innovation in digital services and customer experiences
• manage costs and investments to maximise efficiency during economic uncertainty
• minimise security risks in the face of rising cyberattacks

Every organisation prioritises these outcomes differently, but the first three will be impossible unless the transformation ultimately creates a more secure environment. With every new platform and workload that needs to be stitched together in a hybrid cloud environment, organisations must understand how each implementation will impact security. While business leaders will always demand agility, scalability, and efficiency, these outcomes shouldn’t create technical, security, and operational risks.

Secure transformation requires zero-trust principles

If it now feels like a cyberattack on your organisation is inevitable, you are not just being paranoid. Anyone reading the news can see many examples of well-meaning companies experiencing their very own cyber nightmare. While they might have been planning to enter a new market or launch a new digital service, they are instead scrambling to recover stolen data, restore their operations, and limit brand damage.

The complexity of today’s cyberattacks can paralyse even the nimblest enterprise. Zero-trust helps simplify your approach to hybrid cloud security, making managing your environment easier.

Essentially, the zero-trust security model replaces faith in the integrity of secure network perimeters (such as private networks, firewalls, and VPN/VPC) with that of the individual software systems which are managing critical data. HPE has recognised that, for customers to deliver a robust and secure environment for their most critical data systems, trust must be built into everything they use—from the silicon that runs the software to the software itself.

With HPE GreenLake on VMware, customers can find the right mix of hybrid cloud for their workloads and gain complete control over compliance, data sovereignty, and security. Our approach enables customers to dynamically configure and deploy resources to effectively manage workloads while securely delivering capacity ahead of demand, along with fully managed services to support evolving business needs.

HPE GreenLake on VMware offers market-leading access management and governance services that allow customers to optimise security, performance, and compliance across different environments. Customers also gain access to our experienced and trusted experts, who will offer timely support and guidance to protect their infrastructure better.

Before you embark on the next phase of your hybrid cloud transformation, contact me and my team to understand where you might be creating new risks. With pragmatic advice, we can guide you towards the transformation methodologies that will still unlock business agility while ensuring your data remains secure across every environment.

About the author:

As the APAC Greenlake Cloud Services Director, I drive large-scale projects with a specialised focus on hybrid cloud, data analytics, security, and software-defined data centres (edge and hyperscale). As a business strategist, customer advocate, and technologist, I continuously strive to innovate in my work and always look for better opportunities. These traits have helped me understand what drives customers’ experiences today, technology being one of them. And, I believe Hybrid IT and consumption-based IT will help lay the cornerstone for tomorrow’s infrastructure.