"In today's constantly evolving technology landscape, one thing is clear: the cloud is not one size fits all. That's what is causing many companies to turn to the hybrid cloud. It's like a carefully crafted mix that provides both flexibility and security while keeping costs in mind. If companies use this mix wisely, they are prepared for a whole range of scenarios."
We gathered a sample from 805 IT professionals spanning North America and Europe (about half of those surveyed were in the United States, with another quarter in the United Kingdom and the last quarter in Germany).
As per the survey requirements, all of the IT professionals surveyed used the public cloud in some way, shape, or form, whether their organization operated completely in the public cloud or took a hybrid or multi-cloud approach.
The majority of our respondents have already opted in and were actively using the hybrid cloud at the time they were surveyed, with 64% following a hybrid approach as of July 2023, 24% using the public cloud, and another 12% using the multi-cloud (defined a mix or combination of one or more public clouds).
Out of the participants, 31% asserted that adopting a hybrid approach mitigates expenses associated with transitioning to the cloud (alongside potential risks) by managing the shift in incremental steps rather than all at once.
Another reason why a 100% public cloud environment is not an option for many companies is also because of the complexity to get there, with 41% of respondents citing the complexity of cloud migration or migrating to the public as a primary concern, even as 89% expressed their satisfaction with the benefits derived from the public cloud.
Furthermore, 24% of respondents cited that improving IT agility and simplicity at their organization was a key goal in the next two years, followed by improving performance (or speed and reliability) at 19%.
Interestingly, 13% also reported that they aim to improve sustainability through initiatives like implementing energy-efficient hardware and data centers, as well as adopting virtualization and cloud technology.
Data security is vital for organizations of all types and sizes, of course, and ensuring or even augmenting data security is one of the major reasons why survey respondents choose the hybrid cloud, with 46% of those surveyed saying that it will help them bolster their cyber security efforts.
Moreover, 27% of respondents reported that enhancing data security is prioritized as their top goal for improvement during the next two years, which based on the learnings above, may point to more organizations adopting the hybrid cloud to fulfill that goal.
69% of IT professionals surveyed that work in a hybrid manner (partly in the office and partly remote) reported that they want to implement a hybrid cloud approach in the next year; this would likely enable teams to access the apps and data they need from anywhere and it could be ramped up or down based on need.
This group is more eager to adopt the hybrid cloud than their counterparts who work fully on-site or in the office; only 14% of IT professionals who are required to work solely on-site or in the office said they wanted to adopt a hybrid cloud approach in the upcoming year.
With 49% of IT professionals surveyed claiming that they currently need legacy Windows and Linux applications and will continue to need them in the next five years, solutions (including the hybrid cloud) that enable access to legacy apps will continue to be necessary, at least in the near future.
While there are multiple reasons to continue to use legacy applications including institutional knowledge and the need to hire and/or train teams on new solutions, continuity issues, and more, one of the most obvious reasons that organizations keep legacy software (and hardware) in place is the prohibitive costs of updating or modernizing their tech stack.
Cost plays a key role in selecting any kind of solution or technology, of course, and the cost factor is one of the main reasons that organizations turn to the cloud, as mentioned above and laid out in the chart below.
Cloud solutions are often more affordable than private servers or data centers and adopting a hybrid approach allows for incremental changes (and, therefore, incremental costs). It enables organizations to avoid provider lock-ins, giving them more room to negotiate the best possible pricing structure.
The existing digital skills gap or lack of talent available can push businesses towards less complex solutions due to the simplified IT infrastructure and associated maintenance involved. This may also be connected to organizations leaning into a hybrid cloud approach in the coming years.
Simplified or more automated solutions for hybrid cloud deployments (like Parallels RAS) may be the answer to the skills gap, since they offer many (if not all) of the same benefits as more complex solutions.
During our research process, we discovered that for many organizations, the path to a bright future lies in adopting a hybrid cloud approach, especially as it helps to address many of the goals cited by organizations as laid out in the graph below:
It is clear that IT leaders are seeking streamlined and agile solutions that allow them to efficiently deploy and manage diverse workloads while avoiding excessive expenses, security risks, and other complexities.
The hybrid cloud model provides a balance between various cloud deployments, offering flexibility, cost savings, and improved security. As companies look to optimize their IT infrastructure and transition to the cloud, the need for simple and agile solutions becomes apparent. With the hybrid cloud steadily gaining traction, it appears to be the way forward for most companies, providing them with the means to manage workloads efficiently without overspending on high public cloud costs.
Our survey data indicates a clear shift towards the hybrid cloud approach, with 64% of organizations hosting workloads in this manner. Only 24% of organizations rely solely on the public cloud, while a mere 12% leverage multi-cloud solutions. This shift is driven by several key factors that make the hybrid cloud a preferred option for many companies.
However, a fully public cloud environment is not feasible for many companies due to the continued importance of legacy Windows and Linux applications, as stated by 49% of respondents. Additionally, 62% of organizations acknowledge the lack of skills for public cloud management as a significant roadblock for growth.
Accordingly, a hybrid cloud solution, such as Parallels RAS, offers significant advantages for organizations looking to leverage the scalability and flexibility of cloud computing while maintaining control over their data security and governance. Parallels RAS has been recognized as one of the top hybrid cloud solutions in the industry, being shortlisted for the 2022-2023 Cloud Awards in the Best Hybrid Cloud Solution category. This recognition is a testament to the solution's simplified architecture, seamless integration with various providers including Azure Virtual Desktop, and cost-effective licensing model.
One of the key benefits of Parallels RAS is its ability to enable hybrid and remote work by providing secure access to applications and desktops from anywhere and on any device. With features like auto-scaling and auto-provisioning, power management, and device-agnostic access, Parallels RAS ensures a seamless user experience while optimizing resource utilization. This flexibility is crucial for organizations that have diverse workforce needs and require access to applications and data from multiple locations.
In addition to its flexibility, Parallels RAS also addresses the security concerns associated with cloud storage. By supporting hybrid cloud deployments, Parallels RAS enables data segregation, allowing organizations to store sensitive data on-premises while leveraging the scalability and efficiency of the cloud for non-sensitive data. This approach ensures that organizations can maintain control over their critical data while still benefiting from the advantages of cloud computing.
Regardless of whether a given organization is using on-premises, public, or private cloud solution (or a hybrid or multi-cloud approach), IT leadership must consider factors such as infrastructure, IT staff, cost, and industry standards.
While on-premises solutions provide direct control and potentially lower long-term costs, they may require a significant investment in hardware and maintenance. On the other hand, public cloud deployments offer scalability, reduced upfront costs, and efficient data recovery but may come with challenges such as rapid cost increases and connection-dependent user experience.
With its secure and scalable architecture, seamless integration with various providers, and robust feature set, Parallels RAS is a valuable tool for organizations looking to optimize their IT infrastructure and enable hybrid work environments.
According to a recent survey of leading IT professionals, conducted by Parallels, 78% plan to adopt a DaaS solution by 2025, highlighting its increasing popularity. In a market where talent is scarce and demand is high, Parallels DaaS provides a simple, scalable, and cost-effective solution that frees organizations from the burden of managing and maintaining virtual desktops.
2) Virtual Machine (Parallels desktop, VMWare, Virtual Box, Citrix,...): Run Windows and Mathcad in a virtual machine (again you'll need a Win license). If your Windows machine still is alive you may even turn it into a VM and run that on the Mac (this will not work with parallels desktop AFAIK).
3) Use a Windows emulator like WINE or CrossOver Mac. You don't need a windows license but the emulators are far away from being perfect. No guarantee that a specific Win software will run flawless in the emulator. Furthermore PTC will not provide any support for running their software in an emulator (but losing PTC's support is not a big loss anyway).
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