March 23, 2017

The cloud has never been one size fits all, which is one reason the hybrid cloud is so popular. You can mix private and public cloud infrastructures in the combination that works best for you - whatever delivers higher performance, stronger security and greater cost value. For instance, you might put your less sensitive operations on the cost-effective public cloud and save your more critical needs for the private cloud. If you're bridging the gap between old and new systems, instead of doing a rip and replace of your legacy infrastructure, you can design a BDR strategy that ushers in a new era of stronger security, efficiency and cost savings.

What doesn't get said as much is that hybrid cloud usually offers a reduction in energy use and carbon emissions compared to on-premises IT infrastructures. Saving the planet might not be the top motivation for embracing the hybrid cloud, but many organizations are keeping that in mind when making decisions on their BDR strategy.

Here are a few ways the hybrid cloud can help you lighten your carbon footprint and your expenses at the same time.

Consolidating data centers means maximizing power usage efficiency. Because virtualization lets one physical server run multiple OSs concurrently, you're reducing your total physical server imprint. Move hundreds of computer systems into a single data center through the magic of virtualization, and you’ve significantly reduced overall power consumption. You’ve therefore also lowered carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention your water usage in cooling those former data centers.

Hybrid cloud also allows smarter scaling. By using the agility of a combined private and public cloud approach, and combining demand patterns across multiple units within your organization, the ratio between peak and average capacity loads becomes smaller. Now you’re scaling without the need for additional infrastructure – always a good move for your budget and your carbon footprint. You'll also increase general resource efficiencies, thanks to the pay-per-use and self-service offerings of cloud-based infrastructure. Consuming only the computing resources you need; again, it’s a win-win for you and the environment.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the eco-friendly benefits to your BDR strategy. Not only can hybrid cloud solutions strengthen the security around your backups, it also eliminates the unnecessary storage and energy expenditures your team would unleash in the future. It’s a safe bet your team (and every other business) will keep creating data at a skyrocketing rate; but even though your need for data backups will grow, adopting a hybrid cloud approach now can position you for a budget-smart and planet-friendly future.