Multicloud is a strategy where an organization leverages two or more cloud computing platforms to perform various tasks. Organizations that do not want to depend on a single cloud provider may choose to use resources from several providers to get the best benefits from each unique service. A multicloud solution may refer to the combination of software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) models.

Multicloud strategy can include the use of a hybrid environment but relies on more than one public cloud. The strategy may reduce the need for cloud migration, as some data can remain on the enterprise’s servers.

Some cloud environments may be tailored for specific use cases, which prompt IT stakeholders to select specific cloud service providers for various business functions. Organizations choose multicloud strategies for a number of reasons. Some leaders want to avoid dependence on a single cloud provider, thereby reducing financial risk. Getting stuck with a single vendor could make it difficult for an organization to adopt a responsive strategy. Other organizations decide upon a multicloud strategy to mitigate the risk of a localized hardware failure. Such a failure in an on-site data center could push the entire enterprise offline. Multicloud greatly reduces the risk of catastrophic failure. Multicloud provides organizations with more options that provide the ability to invest in digital transformation without getting locked into a single service or putting down a huge outlay of capital.

A multicloud strategy allows stakeholders to pick and choose the specific solutions that work best for their organization. As diverse business needs arise, change and become more complex, the business can allocate resources for specific uses, maximize those resources and pay for only what they use.

Multicloud also reduces the risk that a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack could take mission-critical applications offline. When even a single hour of downtime can cost an organization thousands, advanced security protocols pay for themselves.