Our recent blog looked at how Hybrid infrastructure merges on-premise and cloud infrastructure together, to give organisations the best of both on-premise and the cloud.  Implemented successfully Hybrid IT can deliver greater agility, flexibility, performance, scalability, and economic benefits too. Here are ten helpful Hybrid IT Tips for the SMB looking to embrace this infrastructure solution:

  1. Don’t go it alone

Organisations are making a mistake if they handle their transition to hybrid IT in-house exclusively. While a smooth transition is possible, this will come at the cost of efficiency and mistakes that wouldn’t be made with a trusted partner.

  1. Choose the right hardware

Businesses who adopt a hybrid setup are guilty of storing useless hardware. In an ideal world, all the hardware you choose will be utilised and play an important part in your IT operation. This is only achievable by choosing the right hardware.

  1. Embrace security

You need to understand the various layers of security available at each level of your hybrid IT to maximise security. Make security a cornerstone of your hybrid IT strategy to fuel your product choice and reduce vendor limitations.

  1. Embrace digital transformation

Digital transformation requires a cloud-like infrastructure and so it draws parallels with hybrid IT strategy, which is a combination of cloud and on-premise. Embracing digital transformation will help define a clear path for your hybrid IT, ensuring your final operation aligns with and meets your operational needs.

  1. Invest in your people

Your IT personnel cannot be expected to be proficient at everything, so you may need to bring in new personnel or invest in training to prepare your people for hybrid IT. Those who are accustomed to cloud or on-premise only will need training.

  1. Embrace shadow IT

If you have the opportunity to run some IT projects outside of or without the input of your IT department, this could be beneficial for your operation. For example, cloud services, especially SaaS, could help streamline your operation.

  1. Perform application audits

Establishing a routine application audit process will help you understand the performance and latency demands of your applications over time, helping you to invest in your cloud or on-premise hardware to bolster your hybrid IT.

  1. Invest in your network

Your data centre network is what connects your cloud and on-premise hardware together to create your hybrid infrastructure. You want a data centre network solution that is designed to meet the increased capacity and resiliency requirements of today’s applications and work environments. Check out HPE’s Aruba and FlexFabric.

  1. Consider your financial model

You can usually buy or lease the hardware and software you need for your hybrid IT infrastructure. Both have their pros and cons. Make sure you explore the financial models available for all the products you intend to utilise.

  1. Make sure you seek expert advice

Embracing hybrid IT is a monumental step in the right direction for any business that deploys applications or virtual workspaces to increase their operational availability, agility and flexibility. However, mistakes are easy to make. Make sure you seek expert advice from a trusted partner to make the most of this opportunity.

We hope you found these Hybrid IT Tips for the SMB useful. If you have any questions or need support in defining your approach to moving to hybrid infrastructure please do not hesitate to get in touch.