Key Takeaways From Cisco’s Hybrid Cloud Trends 2022 Report

With growing cloud-based applications and hybrid work environments, the use of hybrid cloud will continue to increase exponentially over the next few years. However, it’s not without challenges, as Cisco 2022 Global Hybrid Cloud Trends Report found out. 

Cisco surveyed over 2,500 professionals working in cloud, DevOps, and NetOps worldwide with the help of 451 Research. The survey revealed that network teams embracing hybrid cloud face a remarkable number of challenges, primarily due to growing complexity because of the multi-cloud environment.

Security is a primary concern for these professionals managing networks spread over private and public clouds and on-premise infrastructure. The need for automation and visibility tools across network technology is imminent.

In this article, we will discuss the following:

• The survey’s findings.
• The trends analyzed.
• What IT leaders and teams need to know about hybrid cloud.

Not what you were looking for today? Check out these articles:

• A Must-Have Guide - Risk-Free: Protect Against VLAN and STP Attacks
• Deep Dive into the Site-to-Site VPN Tunnel Negotiation Process
• A Complete Guide to Access Control Lists: Types and Creation Methods

Shifting Priorities for Network Teams

The survey responses hinted at shifting priorities for network decision-makers, who are now more focused on agility and business performance and less on cost. 

With 42 percent of respondents attributing an agile working environment for a shift to a hybrid cloud environment, it’s clear that network professionals want more flexibility and control. 

Image: source

The adoption of hybrid cloud is high, with 82 percent of respondents reporting adopting public and private cloud in some capacity. 

One of the causes of such a high adoption rate is the shift to remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many enterprises have at least some percentage of their workforce working remotely, and the cloud offers the flexibility and scalability needed for such a work environment.

Increased Network Complexity

While the move to a hybrid cloud is fueled by more agility, there’s more complexity at the moment, challenging enterprise networks. The hybrid cloud has become increasingly complex to manage thanks to an increase in cloud-based applications and the dispersion of network endpoints. 

To fully embrace the benefits of hybrid cloud, there’s a need for more simplicity. 

A major cause for such complexity is that many networks still deploy some percentage of workloads on-premise. That’s often combined with public and private cloud use, further complicating things. 

According to the survey, most workload solutions based on the hybrid cloud include critical processes such as backup or disaster recovery and application development. 

Image: source

Enterprises deploying hybrid cloud solutions will also need to leverage tools that simplify management. 

More than half the respondents (53 percent) attributed the complexity of end-to-end network management as the primary challenge. 

A Need for Automation and Visibility

The report makes it clear that network professionals aware of the complexities of hybrid cloud also realize that the solution lies in network automation and more visibility. As a result, network orchestration, automation, and monitoring tools have become increasingly sought-after. 

One of the key benefits of network automation is that it frees network professionals from day-to-day network management tasks. Also, more importantly, changes to the network can be deployed easily and quickly in a multi-cloud environment with more automation. 

Visibility tools obviously make management simple, especially for environments that rely on the cloud and on-premise networks. 

SDN Adoption Is on the Rise

Software-defined networking (SDN) answers most of the challenges the hybrid cloud poses. In the survey, 48 percent of respondents said that SDN could help manage distributed workloads better. 

The technology leverages software for network management via automation. It simplifies network changes, which are inevitable for such dynamic environments. It’s no surprise that it’s the go-to for network professionals now, as it helps address multiple issues. 

The global SDN market size is expected to grow to $51 billion by 2027, largely due to the universal adoption of the cloud. 

SDN technology offers more visibility for environments an enterprise doesn’t own or control, such as public infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud. 

More importantly, SDN can implement business intent across the network, including the cloud. It’s also crucial from a security point-of-view, as professionals can proactively learn about issues through automatic alerts. Thirty-seven percent of respondents cite security as a primary concern. 

On-Premise Networking Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon

It’s clear from the report that on-premise networking is still very much in use alongside the cloud, and that may not change for the next few years. Both NetOps and CloudOps professionals say there’s still a need for on-premise network management. 

Nearly 65 percent of network teams deploy and manage cloud access on-premise. Similarly, 43 percent deploy hybrid cloud in-house. As many as 38 percent of respondents said that they expect most workloads to still be deployed on-premise in the next two years. 

Security Remains the Top Concern

While complexity was the second biggest concern, security was the first for most professionals. It’s not surprising as the hybrid cloud is still a nascent technology for most enterprises, especially those who have been strengthening network security in-house and now need to secure access to the public cloud. 

Enterprises gradually move assets to the cloud, with 58 percent of respondents saying they move data and workloads weekly. 

Another reason why security may be the biggest concern is the increase in cloud and data breaches over the past few years. Moving data to a new environment has security risks, which enterprises are willing to take. As a result, they see the security of their data and assets as the top concern.

Cost Management Through Value

Even though cost management isn’t a big concern, it’s still there. However, most respondents (almost 60 percent) reported using a cost-benefit analysis to control the expenses of cloud services. 

Interestingly, as many as 66 percent of respondents said they don’t expect cost reduction from adopting a hybrid cloud. 

Part of the reason costs increase is that apps, especially those that use Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning, require specialized hardware. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said that their workloads run on different hardware. 

So while the hybrid cloud is supposed to reduce on-premise infrastructure, it hasn’t eliminated the need for it, as many applications still require dedicated hardware.

What’s the Future Like for Hybrid Cloud?

Hybrid cloud is the new normal as enterprises embrace public and private cloud environments for more efficiency and better performance. In the next few years, the adoption will increase even further, as indicated by the report and the market estimates. However, on-premise networking will remain a critical component. 

That all said, there’s a vast discrepancy in terms of the level of adoption. And as enterprises adopt the multi-cloud environment, they also need to address the challenges and do it fast if they want to make the most of it. Fortunately, technologies like SDN are providing the much-needed solutions to the complexity of hybrid cloud. 

According to one estimate, the hybrid cloud market is poised to reach $262.4 billion by 2027. 

As indicated by the report, even with the adoption of the cloud, some level of networking will remain on-premise for many enterprises, which calls for in-house network hardware procurement and maintenance. 

As you consider the data in the report, remember that PivIT can provide new hardware and help maintain existing network infrastructure as you gradually move to a hybrid cloud environment. PivIT’s professional services can help ensure higher availability for critical network segments that must be maintained and managed on-premise — with virtually zero downtime.