What is Hybrid IT?
Many companies today are transitioning to hybrid IT, so some of our customers are asking us: “What is hybrid IT and will it change the way I currently do business?”
Hybrid IT is a combination of cloud and on-site technology services and support. It is mixing the two somewhat conflicting ideals into one smooth operation that allows the best features of onsite offerings to be used in conjunction with the best features of cloud offerings.
Why Hybrid IT? Businesses can save money and still feel in control of their company data.
Cloud computing is the first half of hybrid IT. Cloud computing allows greater flexibility with software solutions and has been proven to save money by reducing onsite hardware and maintenance. One category of cloud computing is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Software is purchased per user, by subscription allowing a company to pay a monthly or yearly fee. Users login via a web browser from any location as long as they have their login credentials. There is typically no additional onsite hardware required for a company to implement this type of system. Some common Saas based solutions include office and messaging software, CRM, and ERP solutions.
In-house infrastructure is the second half of hybrid IT. In-house hardware and data storage provide companies with a way to maintain control of their data and keep it centrally located onsite. An example of a company maintaining its data through in-house resources would be an onsite server. Storing your company’s data in an onsite server allows you to modify your system and manage your security at your own pace. However, having a server onsite ensures the inevitable upkeep and scalability of the system. Because of the upkeep and scalability of onsite hardware, hybrid IT has become a transitional stage for many companies who move on to fully implement a cloud data storage solution.
In-house hardware, such as servers, require a large capital investment both during the initial purchase and with maintenance and upkeep. Because of these large capital investments, companies aren’t quick to replace the system without it fully depreciating. This is how hybrid IT became such a popular option, it mixed the two solutions. Hybrid IT provides companies with a slow and natural progression to a fully cloud based solution.
By all standard definitions, unless you have an entirely in-house infrastructure or entirely cloud, then you already have hybrid IT. This is common because hybrid solutions allow you to scale your resources for each job and select the option that will fit that job best – onsite resources or cloud services.
Revolution Group’s Technology Services Department has been servicing client’s hybrid solutions since 1999. If you would like more information on how Revolution Group’s MSP team can help your company reach their hybrid IT goals, please fill out the form below or call 614-212-1111.
