What’s the next phase of your hybrid cloud strategy?

By Praveen Kumar, Vice President for Asia Pacific at Rocket Software

Up until now, cloud migration efforts have largely focused on moving the more straightforward, on-premises data and workloads — essentially, the low-hanging fruit. However, the next stage of cloud data migration will be more challenging and will demand a deeper understanding of transactional data and applications, many of which currently run on mainframes. 

Gartner predicts that modernization efforts will push 70% of workloads to the cloud by 2028, a substantial jump from the 25% recorded just last year. Arguably, nowhere is this more pronounced than the Asia Pacific, with IDC forecasting Whole Cloud spending in the region to grow 23.4% on-year in 2024, after expanding 10% year-on-year in 2023.

Companies need to be aware that each phase of the migration journey, whether it’s assessing the business case or dealing with data governance and compliance, will come with its own set of challenges that require careful consideration. Therefore, if they hope to successfully navigate the next phase of hybrid cloud adoption, they must carefully consider several strategies to make the most of the untapped potential of migrating their remaining workloads.

A roadmap for hybrid cloud success

Any journey can only be successful if it starts with a clear goal and an action plan. This is why companies must first define the goal of their data migration when switching to the hybrid cloud. At its core, data accessibility is critical to driving innovative change — whether a company wants to implement advanced AI tools, introduce new customer-facing apps, or improve business processes.

Having a comprehensive inventory of existing data assets is crucial, especially for long-standing companies with legacy data scattered across multiple repositories. Businesses should identify these data silos and understand where they fit within the larger scope of their data modernization efforts. This will make it much easier for them to set data migration priorities and allocate resources more effectively.

At the end of the day, this discovery process will improve insight into their entire data landscape. It may even help them find and eliminate datasets that are redundant or obsolete, thereby reducing storage and operational expenses. Only a systematic approach to data discovery and classification, which thoroughly maps data dependencies and interrelationships, can mitigate the risk of data fragmentation to ensure seamless and successful hybrid cloud adoption.

Determining workload suitability for cloud migration

Even though the appeal of cloud-native solutions is undeniable, companies should keep in mind that not all workloads are meant to be migrated to the cloud. Due to various factors, some applications are simply best suited for mainframe environments.

Certain transaction workloads, for example, require the consistently high processing speeds, low latency, and high availability that mainframe systems offer. Regulatory compliance and cost are also important factors that need to be carefully considered when migrating workloads to the cloud. Industries that handle sensitive customer data, such as finance and healthcare, are often subject to strict regulatory requirements, which can impact the feasibility of a cloud migration. At the same time, some workloads may incur higher operating costs or require significant reorganization to operate effectively in the cloud, which can result in unexpected costs.

Due to the potential risks involved, it is advisable for organizations to take a phased approach when transitioning to a hybrid cloud. Instead of diving in all at once, they can break down the migration process into manageable stages that ensure each workload transition is carried out with precision and minimal disruption to daily operations. The real-time feedback obtained from this phased approach also gives them the opportunity to “course correct” and refine their migration strategies as and when required, especially when things don’t quite work out as initially planned.

Moreover, focusing on high-value data first, or data that directly impacts revenue, efficiency, or customer experience, might help organizations demonstrate tangible benefits early on. That moves the dial in efforts to win over key stakeholders. With more data and workloads being moved over time, the hybrid architecture allows for better resource management and faster adaptation to changing market dynamics.

Ultimately, the next frontier of hybrid cloud adoption offers unprecedented avenues for businesses to harness the power of their data and infrastructure. While the complexities of a hybrid environment can be daunting, a strategic approach can overcome these hurdles to enable sustained growth and innovation.

Rocket Software is a software development company, which offers tools in business intelligence, storage, networks, terminal emulation, integration, security, and database applications.