Hybrid approach seems to work the best for small and medium sized businesses which offers them the faster data access and increased security of on-premise hosting with the flexibility of clouds. The greatest challenge that such enterprises often face is whether to build or upgrade their infrastructure on-site or in a cloud. Studies suggest that it may be a wise decision to go for both these options together. This is why the hybrid approach is preferred by smaller and medium sized enterprises. The hybrid cloud is also easier and quicker to deploy. This makes it super convenient for the SMEs who do not have the funds or the expertise to deploy traditional IT systems. The truth is that start-ups will find clouds a better option because they have no legacy to worry about. Established companies, on the other hand, will prefer to invest in on-site IT systems. But these rigid choices may not be the right thing to do when faced with complex IT problems. Smaller businesses are particularly worried about data security threats, regulatory compliance and data privacy issues.

Most small businesses have to worry about ongoing costs but they realize the value of having both cloud-based platforms and on-site systems which can work independently and together. Like the bigger organizations, these businesses also need scalability. They want solutions which will let them grow seamlessly in order to meet the changing needs. This is because while some workloads need cloud flexibility, other workloads need the control and speed of onsite systems. With a hybrid IT approach, businesses will enjoy the enhanced security which comes with on-site systems and the power to deploy applications faster, enjoy reduced infrastructure costs and higher scalability etc that comes with cloud hosting.

However, choosing a hybrid approach does not suggest that the company will have to compromise in any way or settle for anything but the best. Rather, a hybrid approach will allow these companies to enjoy the best of both. SMBs using the hybrid approach were found to have nearly twice the amount of flexibility because they can leverage the cloud or on-site solutions as and when they need them. Smaller businesses are likely to witness a huge reduction of IT costs by adopting a hybrid approach. This is more so because hybrid businesses tend to face less downtimes and excel at eliminating risks.

So, the best choice in order to get the maximum advantage of cloud hosting and on-site systems is to use both. At the same time, to be able to get the best benefits of a hybrid approach, SMBs must have properly designed systems that can guarantee high reliability, scalability and performance. To do this, SMBs need to follow these guidelines:

• To begin with, it is important for the SMBs to understand their cloud infrastructure needs. They must decide which services and applications they wish to run in the cloud before they invest in a hybrid approach.

• Secondly, it is not feasible to improve a system if you do not correctly understand how it works. Therefore, before signing up for hybrid solutions, SMBs must assess their technology requirements. To enjoy advantages of hybrid approach, they need to enjoy complete visibility into the applications and processes both in the cloud and on their physical devices.

• The SMBs must also ensure that their systems are properly updated and ready to accept the hybrid solutions. When a company’s onsite systems are poorly managed and outdated, they cannot perform as expected. They will not be able to meet the challenges posed by modern IT systems.

• The company should be able to use both the cloud and on-site systems together. Only then can it get the best of both these solutions and improve capabilities of its technological initiatives.

• It is important to build an infrastructure which can cater to the organization’s existing and future needs. New technologies will keep evolving and these will throw newer and more complex challenges. So, SMBs have to be prepared to deal with these new challenges. When you have a flexible and agile infrastructure, you can reduce technological complexities. You can then use these technologies to boost your own business and gain competitive advantages.

These benefits show that a hybrid approach basically allows you to have your cake and eat it too. Small and medium sized businesses can cater to all their needs through a hybrid cloud hosting approach. This offers them the power to control the capabilities of onsite systems and integrate these advantages with the flexibility and scalability of the cloud.

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