Why the multi cloud matters for your startup (Sponsored)

The myth that startups can grow with a single cloud provider has plagued the ecosystem for a while. This has been done with the bait-vendors offering 6-figure cloud credits that promise to provide cash-strapped teams with the initial infrastructure they need to build their businesses. his profession. While these credits may seem tempting and free at first glance, their true nature will be revealed if the company tries to leave. Some providers require them to pay an exit fee, which is usually of the same value as the original cloud credits received.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

These costs are no longer unavoidable. First, not all cloud providers charge a fee. Second, 80% of customer needs in the cloud are met by only 20% of the products offered by most vendors. Therefore, there is mobility between clouds.

The coast is now clear for a better approach the multi cloud.

Introducing the multi cloud

Ask a dozen people to describe the multi cloud and you’ll probably get as many answers as possible back. For some, it’s a particular type of tech setup and for others, it’s a philosophy. It’s commonly described as:

• A mix of public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises hosting (a.k.a. “hybrid cloud”)
• Having some data with one cloud provider and some with others
• Replicating the same data across several providers
• Or simply having the freedom to move from one provider to another without incurring substantial costs

For many people, multi-cloud provides a path to a more efficient architecture that utilizes a set of products and services not available from different cloud providers. One of the key components of multi-audio is selection. It offers the choice of leaving, migrating, and combining cloud services from different providers.

Today, this choice matters more than ever.

Why the multi cloud is important for startups 

Cloud services have grown rapidly over the past decade, along with their size, complexity, and impact. No single supplier can satisfy all technical and non-technical customer needs. In addition, with digital literacy increasingly pervasive in public discussions, the social and environmental impacts of cloud computing are receiving increasing attention.

Multi-cloud is not just about avoiding the terrible fees of leaving a cloud provider, it’s also about data sovereignty, technical flexibility, sustainability, and behavioural waivers. Anti-competitiveness has no place in a growing industry. its preference for a multi-cloud approach.

So, here we have put together 4 key reasons the multi cloud matters more to your startup than you might think.

• Data sovereignty
• Sustainability 
• Freedom of choice
• Technical flexibility

Data sovereignty

Data stored in the servers of US-based tech companies can be accessed by US intelligence agencies, regardless of data storage locations (CLOUD Act, 2018). This means that data hosted by three of the world’s biggest cloud providers can be seen by the US government, even if the data center itself is on foreign soil.

Doctolib, a French government-run doctor appointment platform notable for booking COVID-19 vaccinations online, was controversial recently because it uses a US cloud provider, potentially making sensitive information about the medical condition of French citizens accessible to the US government. Meanwhile, other companies such as Families and LockSelf have switched from US CSPs to European CSPs to meet the needs of privacy-conscious customers and maintain high data security standards. possible.

As a result, with the rise of data protectionism not only in the halls of European institutions but also in the broader global population, having a different cloud provider depends on the depending on your customer’s location can open more business.

Sustainability

With the cloud’s carbon footprint eclipsing that of aviation, it’s no surprise the sector is under increased pressure to do its part in combating climate change. Fortunately, such trends as increased data center efficiency, equipment reuse, and energy-efficient products, among other things, are paving the way towards a more sustainable industry.

Still, green data centers are far from ubiquitous. For startups struggling to make ends meet, technical and cost considerations take center stage, meaning sustainable hosting may be less of a priority.

With the multi cloud, it’s not either-or. Working with several cloud providers makes it possible to have at least some of your data hosted in less ecologically impactful data centers an initiative that will resonate not only with customers, but with talent, too.

Freedom of choice

Be it due to cost or technical considerations, every CTO will at some point consider switching cloud providers. Even if you can stomach the gargantuan egress fees, the technical hurdles posed by lack of compatibility are not insignificant. Especially if the core DevOps team has been trained to work with a specific cloud provider.

Implementing a multi-cloud approach from day one will secure future flexibility of choice. Container and Serverless architectures are already taking the world by storm. Using them will help with any future partial or total switches between cloud providers, all while enabling broader access to an already-strained talent pool. This freedom of choice also means you can flexibly manage your infrastructure expenditure, so you don’t necessarily have to pay an arm and a leg… for tech you don’t need.

Technical flexibility

Building a product is a discovery process the result is rarely what was originally envisioned and getting there takes you through countless iterations. As your understanding of what’s required evolves, you might realize that the service that made you choose a particular cloud provider is ultimately unnecessary or is done better by someone else.

This is a potential nightmare scenario when you’ve gone all-in on the single-cloud route. Whereas with a cloud-agnostic approach, it’s a headache at worst. The technical flexibility of the multi cloud allows you to take the best out of every player, and build constrained only by your imagination, rather than by the offerings of your vendor.

Key takeaway

The multi cloud is on a rapid rise and looking to solidify itself as the status quo in the coming years. Currently, 76% of companies already use two or more cloud providers. So why put all your eggs in one basket, if you don’t have to?