Hybrid clouds on the rise

Security concerns about cloud computing are slowly being put into perspective. According to the results of the IDC study "Hybrid Cloud in Germany 2015/16", complex IT landscapes and a lack of skills are the opposing factors.

The study focused on digital transformation, which is being implemented on the basis of the third platform (mobile computing, cloud services, big data and analytics as well as social networks). Improving IT security and reducing IT costs remain at the top of the IT agenda for German CIOs.

This is followed by topics relating to digital transformation, such as the agile implementation of new business processes, mobile working and the simple analysis of business data. The prevalence of hybrid clouds has risen by around a third compared to the previous year, from 15 to 20 percent.

In addition, 57% of companies are planning to set up hybrid cloud environments within the next 24 months. The decision-makers surveyed confirm the important role that hybrid clouds play in the implementation of digital transformation.

They see the greatest need for hybrid clouds in typical digitalization areas. In addition to business process automation (28%), these include big data analytics and customer self-services to improve the customer experience (both 27%) as well as the development of new business models (24%).

Transforming your own complex IT landscape still takes far too long. Hosted private clouds and public clouds are therefore becoming increasingly widespread. However, the decision-makers surveyed will not store personal and business-critical data externally.

A sourcing mix is and will remain a reality for the time being and, as a result, the need to integrate this heterogeneous environment into a hybrid cloud is increasing. The creation of hybrid clouds is intended to flexibly implement new requirements for optimized operational processes.

In the medium term, the development of new products, services and business models will take center stage. Linking cloud services with the various sourcing options and conventional IT represents the next logical step in IT transformation.