What is a multi-cloud strategy?
A multi-cloud strategy is an intentional operating model for using more than one cloud provider—based on workload fit, resilience, commercial, or capability reasons—not accidental duplication of every service on every cloud.
Good reasons for multi-cloud
Best-of-breed capabilities for specific workloads
M&A estates that already span providers
Resilience or sovereignty requirements
Commercial leverage with clear architecture boundaries
Poor reasons
Assuming every app must be portable on day one
Duplicating platforms without shared governance
Treating multi-cloud as a substitute for good architecture
Start with a placement decision
Map the reason each cloud or on-premises environment exists. Some placements are driven by business capability or acquired systems; others are accidental. The strategy should distinguish what to integrate, what to consolidate and what to keep separate.
Shared governance does not require identical implementation everywhere. Define consistent accountability while allowing provider-native services where their value justifies the operating and portability tradeoffs.
Questions and answers
What is a multi-cloud strategy?
A multi-cloud strategy is an intentional operating model for using more than one cloud provider—based on workload fit, resilience, commercial, or capability reasons—not accidental duplication of every service on every cloud.
#How should we apply this to our environment?
Map the reason each cloud or on-premises environment exists. Some placements are driven by business capability or acquired systems; others are accidental. The strategy should distinguish what to integrate, what to consolidate and what to keep separate.
#What is a useful next step?
Shared governance does not require identical implementation everywhere. Define consistent accountability while allowing provider-native services where their value justifies the operating and portability tradeoffs.
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