App development is a key part of improving the workflows, business operations, and customer interactions in just about every modern industry. Whether you want to create a way for your field teams to better report from inspections or you want to customize and automate invoice processing, having the right app at your fingertips matters.
When looking at the approaches your business can use to get your apps developed for customer or internal usage, the choice typically comes down to cloud-native vs hybrid cloud development.
The cloud architecture you use will affect how your apps’ UI and UX, how much they cost to develop, and how they are distributed to your user base. There are benefits to both major cloud options, so let’s look into how they can affect your DevOps.
When you look at cloud-based applications and their development, those built in a single cloud environment carry certain advantages. For one, you can scale up or down depending on your needs quickly, because the cost of your cloud usage will reflect the amount you use.
That cloud scalability is built into the architecture of a cloud. It also provides the opportunity for modular, portable designs by taking advantage of containerization. The apps that are developed in these containerized cloud environments come out ready-made for your private cloud.
They are elastic and agile enough to operate optimally, even when your workloads are dynamic. These apps work just as effectively when volume is high as they do when you enter a slower season of business.
Kubernetes architecture is a great example of cloud-native technology. Utilizing containerization entirely within the cloud, Kubernetes allows you to run code in groups and modules virtually to find errors and adjust them, allowing your app code to evolve into its most effective form.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings like Azure Functions or AWS Lambda are perfect for cloud-native development as well. They provide serverless solutions which facilitate development with less coding that also helps keep infrastructure costs manageable.
Hybrid cloud development includes the cloud as well as your own, private infrastructure. One big benefit of this development strategy is the distribution of workload across different environments.
Hybrid development does not offer the kinds of low code options that cloud-native apps can use, but it does offer an added layer of security that makes it an excellent choice for highly regulated industries such as healthcare or finance.
The seamless integration of on-prem infrastructure and a scalable cloud allows for a flexible allocation of resources for specific workload management — meaning that, in a cloud-native vs hybrid cloud debate, the hybrid is slightly limited in what it does, but offers more freedom in how your team operates.
When you look at hybrid cloud solutions, a great example to look towards is VMWare Cloud Foundation. It offers a unified platform that connects endpoints using a combination of storage, computation, networking, and security.
Azure Arc is a tool that helps you manage and connect your environments so that you can take advantage of the strengths offered by a hybrid cloud approach. It is a key compliance and governance tool because of the way it provides a unified platform between your cloud and on-premises operations.
Cloud-native development tends to be faster than hybrid. It typically takes less in-depth coding which opens development opportunities for citizen developers to bring new ideas and fresh eyes to your DevOps.
It is also a great avenue for your IT modernization. You can utilize AI to automate iterative development tasks and leverage machine learning to weed out ineffective Kubernetes modules while keeping track of your cloud usage.
Startups and Software as a Service (SaaS) providers love cloud-native environments. Startups are able to develop their new ideas faster — getting product in front of decision makers with a quick turnaround. SaaS providers love the low-code functionality because it allows clients to put their own personal stamps on their software while creating a mutually beneficial bond between provider and customer.
One of the challenges of a digital transformation from legacy infrastructure to a cloud-focused system is bridging the initial gap between the two. A hybrid cloud setup makes cloud migration much simpler because it connects the legacy, on-premises tech with the newer cloud.
When a company has made heavy investments into their legacy technology, they can be reticent to make a huge change, but a hybrid approach lets them expand past their limitations and create a unified platform that leverages APIs to bring their old and new software together into one powerful infrastructure.
AI in hybrid cloud development has also been making an impact recently. Artificial intelligence has been used by developers to kick start processes by bringing in code from a company’s repository that your human team can then refine into solid foundations for new applications before moving them out into the cloud.
Make no mistake, this has only been an introduction to the cloud-native and hybrid cloud debate. Before you choose one approach over the other, you should definitely think about the following questions and reach out to some friendly experts such as those at TEAM IM.
The biggest difference is that hybrid cloud combines on-premise infrastructure alongside the cloud. Multi-cloud strategies tend to use a combination of private cloud systems — working with more than one cloud service provider at once to fulfill different objectives.
Hybrid cloud will keep you working with one service provider, making use of cloud integration tools to make the most of your infrastructure. Neither approach is inherently better than the other. The right choice between them depends on the needs of an individual organization.
That depends entirely on who is asking. If your needs are best suited to a cloud-native solution, but you are using hybrid cloud, that strategy will not be as effective as you need it to be. The most cost effective solution is the one that does what you need the most optimally.
Again, the best cloud strategy is the one that best aligns with your requirements as a business. By working with TEAM IM, you can break down and identify your development needs, compliance requirements, cloud service budget and create a plan for implementation.
TEAM IM has carved out a strong presence in the cloud migration and digital transformation spheres. By working with our experts, you gain access to extensive experience with not only enterprise cloud computing but with app development, security, and support services.
The kinds of apps you need to make will largely determine the best strategy for you. Cloud-native gives you faster turnaround with less code while bringing new ideas to life while hybrid cloud offers more fine-tuned app construction that often fits better with highly regulated industries.
The cloud-native vs hybrid cloud debate is an important one for your company to explore because the side you come down on will be integral to your business’ future growth. By working with the experts at TEAM IM to explore the benefits and drawbacks each strategy could bring your way, you can find the perfect fit to take you to the forefront of your industry.
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