Multi-cloud management is the process of monitoring infrastructure, platforms, and applications distributed across multiple cloud services and making sure they are performing according to operational standards. It is a business strategy that uses a multi-cloud environment to address the needs of a company in an efficient and cost-effective way. Similar to IT management, multi-cloud management provides companies the high-level monitoring and administration tools to take advantage of cloud computing resources that include numerous software, environment, and network architecture solutions.
Some of the main reasons why organizations are using cloud-based solutions include minimal initial expenses, flexible and scalable operational costs, and readily available solutions. Another attractive reason is the great number of choices available. For example, one affordable cloud solution can address the accounting needs of a company while another vendor provides an easy-to-use software development platform. The same company can use an AI-assisted online recruitment software accessible through a public cloud while a database of client information is hosted on a private cloud to comply with regulatory laws. It can also have two cloud service providers handling duplicate company backup data to minimize risk of data loss in times of disasters.
Multi-cloud management has become necessary as more companies use multiple cloud services and application providers. It would be difficult to monitor the flow and status of company data as well as service level agreements coming from different cloud networks without an overall management strategy. Cloud service providers are not required to sync and integrate with one another, so it is the company’s responsibility to choose which solutions are compatible and able to work together.
Most cloud services come with their own tools. As a company adds more cloud solutions, it becomes more complex to manage all the data and status information coming out of these tools. Multi-cloud management provides the mechanism to make sense of all the information. It allows network administrators and other decision makers to standardize integrations, optimize performance, control costs, identify problem areas, and improve security. A multi-cloud management system gives users the single interface for an overall view so they can implement their company strategy.
