In a multi-cloud deployment, you use various public cloud resources and services, often from different cloud providers. You may use different clouds for specific tasks in order to take advantage of the best cloud service for each task.

A multi-cloud strategy acknowledges that different cloud providers offer different strengths, which may suit the different needs of each department in the organization. For example, your marketing team may require different capabilities than your development team, and each may benefit from a different cloud service.

You can also choose a hybrid multi cloud architecture to prevent vendor lock-in (over-reliance on a single vendor) or to reduce costs by leveraging cheaper alternatives for specific services. Having multiple clouds helps ensure greater flexibility, allowing you to modify your deployment and add or change cloud environments.

How is hybrid cloud different from multicloud?

While organizations typically combine multi-cloud deployments with private clouds and on-premises infrastructure, they are defined by the use of multiple public clouds. Hybrid cloud deployments always include public and private clouds—that's why they're defined as hybrid clouds. In some cases, a hybrid cloud can also include virtual and physical infrastructure, or multiple public clouds.

Another key difference is that hybrid clouds combine private and public infrastructure and services for a unified purpose. In multi-cloud, each cloud may fulfill different needs and enable different tasks. In a hybrid cloud, all components work together. The advantage of this integration is that it enables processes and data from different tasks (and teams) to intersect within one large unified project. On the other hand, multi-cloud environments often create silos, with each team or use case having a separate cloud.
Hybrid Cloud Architecture

There is no cloud architecture that fits every company's needs. Thousands of providers offer public clouds, and each organization can produce a custom private cloud to meet its specific needs. When you implement a hybrid cloud deployment, you create a unique set of clouds and other resources.

No two hybrid cloud architectures are the same, but they generally adhere to the fundamental principles associated with traditional or modern architectures.

traditional building

Traditional hybrid clouds connect private clouds to public clouds, often involving large, complex iterations of middleware. You can build a private cloud yourself or leverage prepackaged infrastructure. You can individually select a public cloud environment to link to your private cloud.

You may need robust middleware to support the transfer of large amounts of resources between public and private environments. Alternatively, many cloud providers offer pre-configured VPNs to handle this communication.