multicloud

Multicloud is an information technology strategy that uses cloud computing services from more than one cloud provider. It is often contrasted with hybrid cloud, which combines on‑premises infrastructure with one or more clouds. Multicloud aims to distribute workloads across multiple public or private clouds to avoid vendor lock-in, improve resilience, and leverage the strengths of different platforms.

Common patterns include deploying different applications or services on different clouds, or moving workloads between clouds as needed. Organizations may run containerized workloads on Kubernetes clusters across providers, and connect clouds through software‑defined networking, VPNs, or direct interconnects. Governance and management are typically centralized through cloud management platforms, with policy as code, standardized identity and access management, and unified monitoring to reduce complexity.

Benefits of multicloud include increased resilience and geographic reach, access to specialized services (such as analytics, AI, or data stores), potential cost optimization, and reduced dependence on a single vendor’s roadmap. It can also support compliance needs by keeping data in specific jurisdictions or choosing providers with required certifications.

Challenges include added complexity in orchestration, application architecture, and monitoring; data gravity and egress costs when moving data between clouds; inconsistent APIs and tooling; security and compliance fragmentation; and the need for specialized skills to manage heterogeneous environments. Networking, data management, and consistent governance are critical to a successful multicloud strategy.

Terms related to multicloud include polycloud, which some use to describe using multiple clouds for distinct objectives.