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What is hybrid IT?

Hybrid IT is an enterprise computing approach that runs existing in-house IT infrastructure alongside public cloud services for various enterprise workload and data needs.

For many organizations, a hybrid IT approach is the new reality as business becomes increasingly digital and cloud technologies continue to grow at a rapid rate. But not all organizations can jump fully into the cloud. Hybrid IT is often used as a strategy to support specific business outcomes.

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Why hybrid IT?

There are many reasons—from cost to security—for choosing to keep certain resources on premises. A hybrid IT strategy provides the flexibility to do so while also leveraging the public cloud.

With hybrid IT, businesses can use the cloud to supplement on-premises resources, gaining much-needed scalability and agility without having to invest in additional infrastructure. Hybrid IT also allows organizations to choose where they store data depending on preference or regulatory and compliance requirements.

Organizations may seek a hybrid IT approach if:

  • Regulations or security concerns require certain resources to remain
  • They’re still getting value out of their existing IT infrastructure
  • They want or need to maintain centralized IT control
  • They have legacy systems that can’t run in the cloud
  • They’re not ready to go fully cloud or are just starting to try out cloud services
  • Unlike hybrid cloud, the in-house and cloud resources in a hybrid IT environment are not integrated to work together as one.

Challenges of hybrid IT

While hybrid IT has many advantages, it also brings some new challenges. With workloads, apps, and data spread out across locations, clouds, and public and private infrastructures, hybrid IT inevitably makes things more complicated. IT must maintain visibility, control, and security in a hybrid IT environment.

Citrix solutions for hybrid IT

Organizations looking to embrace a hybrid IT model can choose from a range of options with Citrix. Whether you need to enhance IT security, maintain on-premises resources, or take advantage of the agility offered by the cloud, Citrix provides everything you need to build the hybrid environment that works best for your business.

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