Enabling a hybrid cloud with an application network
What is hybrid cloud and does your business need it?
More and more businesses are moving their operations to the cloud. By 2018, studies show that businesses expect that more than 75% of their workload will be in the cloud. This trend isn’t surprising, considering the need to improve the speed at which business is done and the proliferation of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) workplaces - people need to be able to access a business at any time on any device.
But speed and availability aside, there are some risks to moving to the cloud. There are some regulatory and compliance risks to doing so. It can be difficult and time-consuming to make sure the data is moved over accurately.
The solution lies in hybrid cloud. Converting to an all cloud platform is not always the best solution for all enterprises, but neither is continuing with legacy systems and on-premise solutions. Hybrid cloud integration provides the perfect middle ground solution for enterprises, assuring that data from on-premises legacy systems can integrate with cloud data.
How an application network makes hybrid cloud possible
Hybrid cloud deployment can sound daunting. This type of platform not only can combine on-premises and cloud-based systems, but can also encompass multi-cloud environments deployed in multiple locations. Making this all functional isn’t easy.
Many companies are turning to an application network to make their hybrid cloud deployment a reality. An application network is designed to be used in any scenario, whether on-premises or in the cloud. It can — and should — be deployed broadly, enabling anyone within the business to access applications, data, and devices connected to it.
An application network has the following characteristics that make it ideal for hybrid cloud deployment:
- Standard communication: The base architecture for the application network provides a standard communication model which simplifies data exchange between applications on the network.
- Security: Any application connected to the application network will be subject to the same security policies and access controls. Different domains can have different security policies, which allows enterprises to segment and provide access to that data depending on the data source, consumers, geographic location, or other factors. This is helpful for organization subject to regulatory and compliance requirements.
- Reusable, modular components: All data resources on the application network are made available through reusable interfaces. This means that it becomes simple to connect cloud-based or on-premises applications to any other application on the network, and can be done again and again, saving IT teams time and effort.
- Layered governance: The application network mandates well-defined interfaces to access resources. It also provides a layered governance model that makes it possible to track data consumption from consumer applications (such as mobile apps, web apps, dashboards, analytics) all the way through to the backend data. It can also track dependencies between applications and even perform change impact analysis.
Kickstart your hybrid cloud deployment with an application network
If you’re considering moving to the cloud, but need to incorporate legacy systems, hybrid cloud is a good place for you to begin. An application network can make hybrid cloud deployment easy, fast, and valuable much more quickly than alternatives. Take a look at further resources on hybrid cloud deployment and how an application network can make hybrid cloud deployment work for you.
Take a look at what an application network can do for your enterprise.