{"id":102991,"date":"2024-06-13T08:40:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T15:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=102991"},"modified":"2025-12-14T16:08:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:08:13","slug":"multi-cloud-strategy-architecture-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/multi-cloud-strategy-architecture-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Multi-Cloud Architecture Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
\r\n
\"A<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Cloud technology has revolutionized IT operations over the past decade and a half. According to the Flexera 2024 State of the Cloud Report<\/a>, 89% of respondents reported having a multi-cloud strategy in 2024, up slightly from 87% in 2023. Businesses are steadily relying on multi-cloud environments to enhance flexibility, optimize costs, and keep up with hardware improvements.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A multi-cloud approach leverages the strengths of multiple cloud providers to meet diverse business needs. Rather than relying on a single cloud provider<\/a> or on-premises infrastructure<\/a>, organizations distribute workloads across various platforms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For those not yet utilizing a multi-cloud strategy or seeking to maximize their current approach, this guide explains the essentials of multi-cloud architecture. It covers the benefits of a multi-cloud environment, how to implement it effectively, and critical considerations to keep in mind for a successful deployment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First, some multi-cloud history<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The shift to multi-cloud infrastructure over the past decade and a half can be traced to two trends in the cloud computing landscape. First, AWS, Google, and Microsoft\u2014otherwise known as the \u201cBig Three\u201d and sometimes called hyperscalers\u2014are no longer the only options for IT departments looking to move to the cloud. Since AWS launched in 2006, specialized infrastructure as a service (IaaS) providers, such as CoreWeave<\/a>, DigitalOcean, and, well, us, have emerged to challenge the Big Three, giving companies more options for cloud deployments. Many challengers focus on specialized cloud functions\u2014CoreWeave, for example, is a primarily GPU provider, though it also has its own storage cloud\u2014who enhance their core functionality with partnerships. (What we like to call the open cloud.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Second, many companies spent the decade after AWS\u2019s launch making the transition from on-premises to the cloud, and dealing with complicated and expensive hyperscaler pricing structures<\/a> that were the only option at the time. Now, new companies are built to be cloud native and existing companies are poised to optimize their cloud deployments. They\u2019ve crossed the hurdle of moving or connecting on-premises infrastructure to the cloud and can focus on how to architect their cloud environments to maximize the advantages of multi-cloud.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is multi-cloud?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nearly every software as a service (SaaS) platform is hosted in the cloud. So, if your company uses a tool like Microsoft 365 for Business or Google Workspace<\/a> along with any other cloud service or platform, you\u2019re technically operating in a multi-cloud environment. But, using more than one SaaS platform does not constitute a true multi-cloud strategy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the cloud services industry, when we talk about \u201cmulti-cloud,\u201d we\u2019re referring to the use of multiple public cloud platforms to build your company\u2019s infrastructure. This includes all aspects of your tech stack such as storage, networking, computing power, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"A<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Essentially, it means not putting all your eggs in one basket (or in one cloud provider like AWS, Google, or even on-premises infrastructure), but instead leveraging the strengths of different cloud providers to meet your specific needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"A<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Multi-cloud vs. hybrid cloud: what\u2019s the diff?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

To be more precise, multi-cloud refers to the use of more than one public cloud platform. This strategy allows businesses to leverage the unique strengths and services of different providers, optimizing for performance and cost<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

On the other hand, a hybrid cloud<\/a> combines a private cloud with a public cloud. A private cloud is typically hosted on-premises, but it can also be hosted in a colocation data center. The key difference between private and public clouds is that a private cloud’s infrastructure, hardware, and software are maintained and used exclusively by your business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Things can get even more interesting when a company uses a private cloud along with multiple public clouds. This approach, known as a hybrid multi-cloud strategy, maximizes flexibility and resilience, though it can be complex to manage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Did you know?<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The International Data Corporation (IDC)<\/a> is forecasting cloud infrastructure spending to jump to $129.9 billion in 2024. That\u2019s up almost 20% compared to 2023.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to implement multi-cloud: use cases<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As multi-cloud deployments have become integral to operations, IT teams have incorporated them into an overall enterprise cloud strategy. And, as multi-cloud infrastructure has become more common, leading tools like Veeam<\/a>, Commvault, Kubernetes<\/a>, iconik<\/a>, and rclone<\/a> have been built to integrate with specific storage targets and complex storage infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, how do you actually use a multi-cloud strategy, and what is a multi-cloud strategy good for? Multi-cloud has a number of compelling use cases and rationales, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n