Cloud

How Small Businesses Can Manage Multicloud Environments

A multicloud approach may be the best fit for organizations focused on growth, but it depends on their goals and resources.

Joel Delarosa

Joel Delarosa is a Hybrid Infrastructure Advisor within CDW’s Integrated Technology Solutions team supporting small business. He assists customers with planning and designing data center infrastructure, with the goal of minimizing complexity in IT operations. When it comes to servers, storage, backup and disaster recovery, Joel ensures that customers are future-proofing their investments with solutions that provide flexibility to an ever-changing IT environment.

The new reliance on a distributed workforce has led to a significant increase in cloud use. Organizations that only used the cloud for limited functions, or maybe didn’t use it at all, have had to make changes to the way they support their environments.

While these changes are challenging for any organization, they are particularly difficult for small businesses. Smaller organizations don’t have the same resources or expertise that larger companies do, and when it comes to cloud environments, that gap can be significant.

Deciding what to do in the cloud depends on your organization’s resources, team and goals. For an increasing number of small businesses, a multicloud approach checks the right boxes. Smaller organizations looking to capitalize on the best of what’s offered may trade simplicity for optimization. But those who do decide to go the multicloud route need to make sure they have the team to execute the strategy properly.

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The Benefits of Multicloud Environments

There are a few reasons small businesses might find multicloud environments attractive. First, there can often be cost benefits. Using different providers for different products and services can allow IT departments with limited resources to shop around for the best pricing for each individual solution. While that can increase complexity, it can also mean a lower bill.

Another reason multicloud can be appealing is the service itself. Small businesses, particularly startups, can leverage specific solutions and services for their needs. This allows them to tailor their cloud experience to their needs, creating flexibility and scalability for organizations aiming to be in a state of growth.

Multicloud isn’t just a solution for small businesses entering the cloud for the first time. Organizations who began their cloud journey through one provider should be constantly reassessing the landscape. Using one provider in the beginning can help keep things simple, but as an organization becomes more familiar with the cloud and its presence grows, multicloud might be a better option.

Steps to Manage Multicloud Challenges

While multicloud environments do have many benefits for small businesses, there are also potential roadblocks that organizations need to navigate. Keeping multiple providers straight can be daunting, and these tools need to be implemented properly in order to work together. Moving into these environments is also a large undertaking, and many smaller organizations don’t have the means to execute it effectively.

For many small businesses, the solution is to outsource the management of these environments. A managed service provider can prioritize migrations, offer expertise and offset some of the responsibilities of the IT department.

There are things that small businesses should consider when choosing a managed service partner. First, make sure the partner understands your needs. A partner’s plan for your environment should reflect the organization’s goals and limitations. It’s also important to make sure that both the business and the partner are on the same page when it comes to support and accountability. Maintaining compliance is also a key factor in picking a partner.

Small businesses stand to gain a lot from multicloud environments, but navigating the best path forward can be challenging. With the right managed service partner, organizations can get the most out of their infrastructure.

This article is part of BizTech's AgilITy blog series. Please join the discussion on Twitter by using the #SmallBizIT hashtag.