Today, hybrid and multi-cloud are the “new normal” for cloud-adopting organizations.

The companies that thrive will be those that adapt their multi- and hybrid-cloud architecture to simply and reliably deliver applications. This process, however, can be complex and costly.

We wanted to better understand how enterprises are solving network challenges in their digital transformation imperatives. So, we commissioned IDC to surveyed 900 organizations to learn more.

How the cloud is impacting app delivery

In the study, we learned that 94 percent of organizations are actively preparing for a cloud-first world by either reassessing, modifying, or overhauling their network infrastructure to facilitate app delivery.

But the move away from on-premises models is not without its challenges. Eighty-two percent of the surveyed companies felt their current app delivery network architecture is hindering their ability to migrate apps to the cloud. [1]

Legacy applications may need significant changes before they’re capable of harnessing the benefits of a cloud-first approach. The development budget gets shifted to bringing these apps up to date or completely rewriting them from the ground up. Organizations also need to consider whether integration with other apps is a necessary step for migration, how to share data between the apps, and whether APIs exist to streamline the process.

Hybrid cloud requires a new approach

IT departments are having to rethink how they operate to accommodate for hybrid cloud. Cloud vendors may take over duties that an on-premises team typically handles. Security measures need to protect against threats that target both on-site and cloud-based resources. Resource allocation may happen with a few mouse clicks, rather than a request for a new server deployment.

Organizations end up with an infrastructure that’s flexible and agile, but they can only take advantage of this if they move away from processes and practices that went into place with traditional data centers. Otherwise, the expense and resources required for the robust networks needed for a hybrid-cloud-first infrastructure get wasted.

Discover more from the study

Join Brad Casemore from IDC and me for webinar at 8 a.m. PST/noon EST on Thursday, Oct. 12 as we present the results from our survey.

Discover what your peers’ had to say about how their current application delivery network architecture is seen as hindrance to cloud adoption, plus their biggest barriers standing in the way of cloud adoption.

We will unveil a new network architecture and approach to application delivery networking for hybrid cloud and SaaS that addresses these barriers.

And we’ll also showcase how Citrix NetScaler provides a solution that you can deploy to start embracing cloud today.

[1] IDC  Research Survey, Multi-Cloud Application Delivery, Sponsored by Citrix, June 2016