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To understand hybrid cloud, it is important to understand the basics of cloud computing services, its models – software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) – and deployment methods – private, public, and of course hybrid. But why choose between public or private cloud when you can have the best of both worlds?

Hybrid clouds take advantage of the benefits of both environments to create a super breed of cloud built to help enterprises get the most return on investment by managing mission critical data on-premises in a private cloud while moving less critical or ‘bursty’ applications to a public cloud.

Hybrid cloud can be a hybrid SaaS, a hybrid PaaS or hybrid IaaS and can be really valuable for dynamic or highly changeable workloads. Hybrid SaaS combines SaaS solutions with an on-premise software application to provide the benefits of SaaS with more security and user control.

The functional aspect of the software is presented through the cloud, hosted by the software provider. A user logs into the application from a web browser and accesses a cloud-hosted environment including the user interface, functionality, and mechanism that moves files. The users’ data, however, is stored in whatever environment they choose until it is encrypted and transferred over the Internet.

With hybrid SaaS, you can store data on an on-premise server that is managed by your organisation or you can use the cloud. The user now has more control over where to keep the storage. Security concerns are eliminated without sacrificing the benefit of cloud software.

Whilst the most common needs to adopt cloud computing in an organisation remain the same, such as full elasticity, measured service, broad access, self service and resource pooling, understanding the unique business needs is also crucial to adopt the best cloud offering. These needs can be unique and change over time, hence why choosing a cloud that communicate and shares information securely in the private cloud or hybrid cloud is critical.

Some products can provide a powerful suite of solutions to enable internal and external collaboration, client engagement, and help manage complex transactions and processes. Ideally, having a platform that combines internal and external collaboration in one secure space which can be accessed from anywhere and from any device proves to be the most effective when it comes to collaboration and managing data in the cloud.