There are studies estimating that 75% of large companies are running a hybrid or multicloud environment during this year 2024. The adoption of advanced technologies, such as cloud connectivity, is key to their success.
Technology and connectivity are constantly evolving, transforming the business world. In such a dynamic environment, companies face complex challenges, especially when adapting to a landscape where the cloud is essential for connectivity.
Managed cloud connectivity becomes a powerful tool for companies. In this context, a fundamental question arises: instead of burdening Spanish companies with internal connectivity management, why not leverage the expertise and resources of leading end-to-end connectivity experts?
InterCloud, a leading European provider of cloud interconnection services, has analyzed how Spanish companies are approaching multicloud management and reveals the most important challenges they are currently facing:
Navigating the multicloud complexity
According to Gartner, by 2024, over 75% of large companies will be (and are) running a hybrid or multicloud environment. Although the main challenge lies in managing various cohesive infrastructures and beyond the “buzzword,” a flexible approach avoids reliance on a single provider and offers the opportunity to optimize infrastructure based on each organization’s specific needs.
Cost management in the cloud becomes critical for business for several reasons: on the one hand, each provider has its pricing models, making cost comparison and optimization difficult. And, while the elastic nature of the cloud allows scalability, it can lead to excessive costs if not managed properly, making it difficult to identify areas for optimization. These issues impact profitability due to a possible cost increase, which may hinder decision-making, thus hindering business innovation.
Harnessing edge computing capability
With 50% of data managed by companies outside of data centers or clouds by 2025, a rethink of data processing and storage strategies is imminent. Different environments emerge because each provider has its security controls and compliance models. Additionally, data and application dispersion increase the risk of security breaches.
Three significant challenges arise here: the lack of a unified view of security posture in the clouds, inconsistent policy management, and a higher risk of regulatory non-compliance due to lack of control and visibility. A unified cloud will provide centralized visibility, unified policy management, security automation, and simplified compliance.
Using AI for digital acceleration
In 2028, AI adoption will culminate with over 50% of cloud computing resources dedicated to AI workloads, compared to less than 10% in 2023. With 61% of companies already using AI and Machine Learning (ML) in their operations, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation into business operations marks the beginning of a transformative era, fundamentally altering the landscape in which companies operate and thrive.
There is clear complexity in automation and AI/ML: manually managing resources, security, and costs in multiple clouds becomes unsustainable with the vast amount of data, services, and providers involved, coupled with provisioning, configuration, monitoring, and performance optimization tasks prone to human errors if done manually. However, automation and AI/ML offer greater operational efficiency, reduced human errors, performance optimization, and clear security improvement.
Protecting critical data at the network edge
According to Gartner predictions, 25% of edge networks will be breached by 2025, a factor profoundly shaping cloud business strategies. In the expansive digital landscape, the need to protect critical company data at the edge represents a paradigm shift in how organizations approach cloud security and risk management.
As cyber threats evolve, guaranteeing the security of critical company data is paramount. It is not just about staying up to date on compliance but also being able to build trust, comply with regulations, and mitigate the risks associated with data breaches. Spanish companies must make this strategic move towards proactive defense mechanisms against a constantly changing threat landscape.
Modernizing infrastructure with adaptation to the digital ecosystem
Gartner predicts that by 2028, modernization efforts will culminate with 70% of workloads running in a cloud environment, up from 25% in 2023. This underscores the importance of maintaining control and data security in multicloud environments, especially in light of increasing regulations and geopolitical concerns.
Regulatory compliance, security, privacy, and national sovereignty are now top concerns for companies. To address these, a multicloud strategy must be implemented to distribute data and applications across different providers and geographic regions to meet data sovereignty requirements and minimize the risk of a single point of failure. Additionally, sensitive data must be protected using encryption techniques, and data sovereignty management tools must be implemented.
Harnessing automation in connectivity management
According to IDC data, 90% of Spanish organizations lean towards a multicloud infrastructure to ensure a successful transition to the cloud, seeking to address specific business needs with solutions tailored to their requirements.
To successfully address this challenge, the adoption of advanced technologies such as automatable cloud connectivity platforms is crucial, as they provide total control and flexibility. These solutions enable access to various leading network connectivity providers from a single platform, allowing the definition of specific project requirements, configuring optimal connectivity solutions at software speed, where and how they are needed.