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Multicloud (also written as multi-cloud or multi cloud) is a term with varying interpretations, generally referring to a system using multiple cloud computing providers. According to ISO/IEC 22123-1: "multi-cloud is a cloud deployment model in which a customer uses public cloud services provided by two or more cloud service providers".^[1] Multi-cloud can involve various deployment models, including public, private, and hybrid clouds, and multiple service models, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Multicloud incorporates workload, data, traffic and workflow portability options, exhibiting differing implementation complexities.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

When effectively implemented, multicloud solutions can enhance architectural resilience, reduce dependence on a single vendor, and improve flexibility by leveraging services from different providers. However, multicloud strategies also present challenges, including increased operational complexity, security risks, higher costs, and integration difficulties.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

According to the 2024 State of the Cloud Report by Flexera, multi-cloud adoption has continued to rise in 2024. Enterprises increasingly silo applications into specific clouds and select best-fit services. Key use cases include data analysis in separate clouds and cross-cloud disaster recovery.^[6]

Advantages and challenges

There are several advantages to using a multicloud approach, including the ability to negotiate better pricing with cloud providers, the ability to quickly switch to another provider if needed, and the ability to avoid vendor lock-in. Multicloud can also be a good way to hedge against the risks of obsolescence, as it allows you to rely on multiple vendors and open standards, which can prolong the life of your systems.^[7]

Additional benefits of the multicloud architecture include adherence to local policies that require certain data to be physically present within the area/country, geographical distribution of processing requests from physically closer cloud unit which in turn reduces latency and protect against disasters.^[8]^[7]

Various issues and challenges also present themselves in a multicloud environment.^[8] Security and governance is more complicated, and more "moving parts" may create resiliency issues.

Difference between multicloud and hybrid cloud

Multicloud differs from hybrid cloud in that it refers to multiple cloud services from different vendors rather than multiple deployment modes (on-premises hardware, and public and private, cloud hosting).^[9]^[10] However, when considering a broad definition of multi-cloud, hybrid cloud can still be regarded as a special form of multi-cloud.

References

^ "ISO/IEC 22123-1:2023(E) - Information technology — Cloud computing — Part 1: Vocabulary". International Organization for Standardization: 2.
^ ^a ^b Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture. Pearson. 2013. ISBN 978-0133387520.
^ ^a ^b Cloud Native Patterns: Designing change-tolerant software. Manning. 31 May 2019. ISBN 978-1617294297.
^ ^a ^b Mulder, Jeroen (27 April 2023). Multi-Cloud Strategy for Cloud Architects - Second Edition: Learn how to adopt and manage public clouds by leveraging BaseOps, FinOps, and DevSecOps. Packt Publishing, Limited. ISBN 978-1804616734.
^ ^a ^b Multi-Cloud Architecture and Governance: Leverage Azure, AWS, GCP, and VMware vSphere to build effective multi-cloud solutions. ISBN 978-1800203198.
^ "2024 State of the Cloud Report". Flexera's State of the Cloud Report.
^ ^a ^b Brand, Aron (February 17, 2020). "You Might Want to Rethink Monogamy (When Clouds are in Question)". Tech Monitor.
^ ^a ^b Synytsky, Ruslan. "How To Overcome The Challenges Of Gaining Multi-Cloud Interoperability". Forbes Technology Council. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
^ Rouse, Margaret. "What is a multi-cloud strategy". SearchCloudApplications. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
^ King, Rachel. "Pivotal's head of products: We're moving to a multi-cloud world". ZDnet. Retrieved 3 July 2014.