The latest research released in APAC region on hybrid cloud deployments in businesses shows that 90 percent of organizations either have a hybrid/multi-environment helping to run the business, or expect to use one in the near future. Hybrid clouds and multi-clouds mean different things altogether, but the fact remains that it’s this type of technology that’s being deployed to great effect in the region.

APAC’s most prominent and experienced hybrid/multi cloud implementation and consultancy company, NTT Communications (NTT Com) is very much aware of the advantages offered by the technology, but it’s found that many companies are running hybrid cloud services, albeit in ways that are not at a premium level, and often without getting many of the benefits the cloud has to offer.

A hybrid cloud is the use of multiple services and applications in different ways: a portion of applications and workloads will be running from the data center or server room; and others from public cloud services and applications from the likes of VMware or Microsoft (Azure).

An example might be an organization using a public cloud service for its HR management systems, an internet-connected Finance & Payroll system that’s hosted in-house with public access, a product database running across multiple cloud instances, and an e-commerce facility running on rented data center servers. And, the entirety backed up to different co-location facilities from third-party suppliers.

The advantages that can be gained from cloud deployments in multiple scenarios are well-known: flexibility, security, reliability, cost, and so on. However, running and supporting your business from multiple cloud platforms may not be the end of what’s required to cut ahead of competitors in your market space. The key is the interoperability of services on different platforms.

The same paper from 451 Research revealed that 44 percent of companies in APAC began cloud migration with no formal plan in place, and to this day still have no formal footing for continued cloud use. That is perhaps no great surprise due to the ease with which even the most powerful business applications can be deployed, at little or no upfront cost.

With that in mind, many of the advantages of cloud are quickly becoming apparent, and it’s also clear that long-term gains from a joined-up hybrid cloud deployment need a considered and experienced hand on the controls. Most organizations either do not have the skills in-house or are just too busy to manage the overall strategic direction of a hybrid cloud transformation project.

Here is where the seamless IT Managed Services (ITM) from NTT Com come into their own. NTT Communications’ services empower you to be the enabler of the business on a broad, strategic level, while NTT Com creates the robust, scalable and secure platform across the clouds, a foundation on which you can build for the future.

The complexity of a hybrid cloud creates several requirements in businesses hoping to realize these advantages:

– The need to build-out the skills of existing staff to interface and make it interoperable with the different cloud-based (and in-house) solutions in daily use, with an overall vision and goal.

– The need for a determining strategy for the business to shape hybrid deployment. Currently, many companies’ use of cloud services is driven by short-term goal-chasing, rather than a more considered, meta-approach favored by experienced consultants and providers.

– The need to manage overall workflow migration to cloud provisions.

– Onboarding of new services to create maximum value from day one.

– Multi-cloud management, from a technological, operational and financial point of view.

– Integration of disparate services from inside the organization and across the public and private clouds in daily use.

The research paper from 451 Research (available here) shows why many businesses in APAC are turning to NTT Communications as an outsource provider for hybrid cloud IT management services. Fifty-nine percent stated that they seek third-party help & guidance for “access to better management tools/functions”, while 51 percent stated they wanted to “free IT staff to work on other projects”.

Let NTT Communications design & implement the most appropriate cloud strategy based on your individual needs. From technical planning, down to the detail of API integration requirements, to building a boardroom-level financial analysis of the options to encourage management buy-in, NTT Communications provides the insights and skills you’ll need.

To learn more from an NTT Communications representative as to how your organization’s hybrid cloud strategy can be made to grow, and for your company to prosper, learn more about NTT Com’s hybrid cloud management services here. Or get in touch with a representative today.