Today, we’re going to talk about a hotly debated topic in the tech industry – whether to pick a single cloud provider or go for a multi-cloud strategy. As someone who’s been in the industry for a while, I’ve seen companies go back and forth on this topic, and I think it’s time to weigh in with some of my observations.

Let’s start with the basics. A single cloud provider means that your company uses one cloud provider to host its applications, services, and data. On the other hand, a multi-cloud strategy means that you use multiple cloud providers for the same purpose. Sounds simple, right? Well, not exactly.

While the idea of using multiple cloud providers might seem like a good way to hedge your bets, the reality is that it can quickly become a headache for your organisation. One of the biggest challenges is the overhead that comes with establishing a presence in more than one cloud provider. Each provider has its own set of tools, services, and pricing models, which means that you need to invest time, money, and resources in learning and maintaining all of them. Not to mention the added complexity of managing data across multiple clouds, which can result in increased latency, security risks, and compliance issues.

For smaller organisations, a keep-it-simple approach might be best. According to a recent survey by LogicMonitor, 87% of SMBs are using a single cloud provider, and only 13% are using a multi-cloud strategy. This is because smaller companies typically have limited resources and cannot afford to spread themselves too thin. By using a single cloud provider, they can focus on their core business and avoid the added complexity of managing multiple cloud environments.

But what about larger organisations with more resources? Surely, they can handle a multi-cloud strategy, right? Well, not so fast. A recent report by Flexera found that 93% of enterprises have a multi-cloud strategy, but only 16% of them have the expertise to manage it. This means that most organisations are struggling to keep up with the demands of a multi-cloud environment, which can lead to increased costs, downtime, and security risks.

So, what’s the solution? While it’s tempting to go for a multi-cloud strategy to take advantage of the best features of each provider, the reality is that it’s not always worth the overhead. Instead, companies should focus on finding the right cloud provider that meets their specific needs and invest in developing the skills to manage it effectively.

At cloudstep.io we created a simple three step ‘Business Case in a Box’ process that leverages our unique tooling to help organisations big or small answer these questions. Starting with a rapid assessment to provide lightweight, express validation of cloud intention through exploration and validation of different migration scenarios. The output of this assessment identifies any organisational knowledge gaps followed by focused analysis to prepare the organisation for a successful migration.

The decision to pick a single cloud provider or a multi-cloud strategy should not be taken lightly. While multi-cloud might seem like a good idea in theory, the overhead and skills requirements can quickly become overwhelming for most organisations. Like many things in life its not a simple case of one size fits all. Investing time upfront in validation of your requirements, assessment of candidate cloud providers and planning your migration could spare you a lot of sleepless nights. Thanks for reading!