What is Hybrid IT Infrastructure in 2025? Benefits & Challenges

Hybrid IT infrastructure allows businesses to optimize performance and cost-efficiency by leveraging both traditional infrastructure and cloud computing. By integrating these resources, companies can enhance flexibility, security, and resource management while effectively scaling their operations.

Explore what is hybrid IT infrastructure, its components, benefits, challenges and top solutions:

What is hybrid IT infrastructure?

Hybrid IT infrastructure, also known as hybrid cloud, is an IT setup that combines on-premises data centers with private and/or public cloud environments. It allows businesses to deploy operating systems and applications across different platforms based on their needs. To manage this complexity, hybrid infrastructure relies on cloud services that oversee and optimize the entire IT environment. This approach is essential as IT systems grow increasingly complex.

For example, a company might choose to run legacy applications on-premises due to compatibility or compliance reasons, while deploying customer-facing applications in the public cloud to accommodate variable traffic loads and enhance user experience. This strategic distribution of workloads ensures that each component operates in the most suitable environment, maximizing overall efficiency.

What are the components of a hybrid IT infrastructure?

The main components of hybrid IT:

• On-premises data centers: Physical infrastructure located within an organization’s premises to manage data and applications.
• Private clouds: Cloud environments dedicated to a single organization, offering more control and security over data and services.
• Public clouds: Cloud services provided by third-party vendors, accessible over the internet, offering scalable resources.
• Enterprise systems and applications: Software and tools used by organizations for operations, deployed across on-premises, private, or public clouds.
• Legacy systems: Older software or hardware systems that continue to be used by organizations, often integrated with newer cloud technologies.
• Best-of-breed SaaS applications: Specialized cloud-based software applications chosen for their specific functionality, often used alongside other solutions.
• Integration solutions: Tools or platforms that connect and synchronize data and processes across various IT environments.
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) access for employees: Allowing employees to use their personal devices to access company systems and applications.

Difference between hybrid IT and hybrid cloud

• Hybrid IT infrastructure: delivers applications, data, and services across both legacy systems and cloud environments, enabling organizations to provide IT resources as services quickly and efficiently.
• Hybrid cloud infrastructure: combines on-premises private clouds with public clouds, allowing organizations to store and manage data and applications across multiple locations through a shared interface.

Explore other cloud concepts such as multi cloud and how hybrid cloud environments differ from them.

How to build a hybrid cloud architecture

Building an effective hybrid cloud architecture relies on the smooth integration of key components:

• Public cloud: Providers like AWS, Google, and Microsoft Azure offer scalable computing resources, where businesses pay for what they use on-demand.
• Private cloud: A private cloud ensures enhanced security and dedicated resources tailored to the specific needs of the company.
• Connectivity: Seamless integration of public and private clouds requires robust connectivity, achieved through secure networking tools, VPNs, and APIs that ensure smooth data transfer and communication between environments.

Hybrid IT solutions

Hybrid IT solutions combine multiple cloud models: SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), and PaaS (Platform as a Service). These models differ in terms of the services and resources they provide to organizations:

• SaaS (Software as a Service): SaaS refers to cloud-based applications delivered over the internet, eliminating the need for local installation.
  • Example: A company using cloud-based email services.
  • Products: Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Gmail.
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, including servers, storage, and networking.
  • Example: A company hosting its website and applications on virtual machines instead of on-premises servers.
  • Products: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): PaaS provides both the infrastructure and tools needed for developing, running, and managing applications without dealing with underlying hardware.
  • Example: A company developing a custom app and hosting it on a platform that offers development tools.
  • Products: Google App Engine, Atlassian.

Big tech cloud providers 

Major cloud providers offer a variety of services and solutions to support hybrid IT infrastructures, enabling seamless integration between on-premises systems and cloud environments.

Here’s how some leading providers contribute to hybrid IT:

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS extends its infrastructure and services to customers’ on-premises environments, providing a consistent AWS experience across cloud, on-premises, and edge locations.

Key AWS hybrid solutions include:

• AWS outposts: Delivers native AWS services, infrastructure, and operating models to virtually any data center or on-premises facility, supporting workloads that require low latency or local data processing.
• AWS hybrid edge: Provides infrastructure and software to deliver data processing, analysis, and storage close to endpoints, deploying AWS managed services and tools to locations outside AWS data centers, including customer-owned infrastructure and devices.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure offers a cohesive hybrid cloud experience by integrating cloud services into on-premises environments, bridging the gap between private cloud infrastructure and public cloud services.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

GCP provides an open-cloud approach, enabling businesses to adopt secure and efficient hybrid and multi-cloud strategies through Anthos, a managed application platform that facilitates modernization across diverse environments, including public clouds, private clouds, and on-premises data centers.

Explore other big tech cloud providers and their cloud infrastructures, such as:

Managing Hybrid IT infrastructure 

Manually managing a hybrid cloud environment is inefficient. Managed hybrid infrastructure services use automation, orchestration, and standardized frameworks to streamline operations and ensure system reliability. Key automation areas include:

• IT service support automation: Enhances IT service management (ITSM) by automating workflows, integrating infrastructure components, and improving compliance. This reduces manual intervention and optimizes service delivery.
• IT operations automation: Enables monitoring and task automation, managing infrastructure components while integrating ITSM and orchestration tools to ensure seamless operations across environments.
• Provisioning and release automation: Streamlines service requests, provisioning, development, configuration, and compliance management, accelerating deployments and reducing errors in hybrid infrastructure.

Tools for Hybrid IT management

To achieve these automation goals, several tools are essential:

• Hybrid IT management solutions: OpenText’s IT Operations Cloud integrates existing legacy and cloud management tools to provide end-to-end automation across key IT functional areas, ensuring consistent service delivery and governance.
• Hybrid cloud job schedulers: Also known as SOAP or WLA tools like ActiveBatch, RunMyJobs, Stonebranch, and Fortra’s JAMS automate task execution across on-premises and cloud environments, ensuring efficient resource allocation and workflow management.
• Cloud management platforms (CMPs): Solutions like AWS Management Console, Azure Management Portal, and Google Cloud Console provide centralized management of cloud resources, facilitating provisioning, monitoring, and cost management.
• Automation and orchestration tools: Platforms such as Ansible and Terraform enable automation of infrastructure provisioning and configuration across hybrid environments, ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Hybrid infrastructure management software: FNT’s Hybrid Infrastructure Management solution offers a unified view of both on-premises and cloud infrastructure, enabling efficient documentation, analysis, and automation of complex dependencies.

Managing hybrid IT with cloud-managed servers

Hybrid IT management tools are typically provided as cloud-managed servers. These servers are virtual machines (VMs) offered by cloud platforms that automatically handle infrastructure setup, software deployment, and maintenance. Pre-configured with the necessary operating system, software, and dependencies, these servers enable users to launch applications with minimal effort.

For instance, RunMyJobs by Redwood is a cloud-native automation platform that integrates with both SAP and AWS. It automates SAP ERP processes using pre-built connectors, supporting versions like SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA. With AWS integration, it automates resource management and provisioning through services like Amazon EC2 and S3, simplifying workload automation across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Hybrid IT infrastructure challenges 

As hybrid IT adoption doubles to 68%, companies are increasingly opting for a combination of on-premises and cloud environments to quickly respond to evolving demands. The challenge lies in integrating these environments into a cohesive and seamless system.

• Integration issues: Ensuring smooth interoperability between on-premises systems and cloud services can be complex, requiring careful design and integration to avoid disruptions or inefficiencies.
• Data security: Protecting data across both on-premises and cloud environments requires robust security measures, such as encryption, to safeguard against breaches, ensuring compliance with security policies.
• Compliance with industry regulations: Navigating industry-specific regulations and ensuring that both on-premises and cloud systems meet compliance standards can be challenging, especially when dealing with data residency and privacy concerns.
• Network connectivity: Maintaining reliable and fast network connections between on-premises systems and the cloud is essential to avoid latency or service interruptions, which can affect performance and user experience.
• Consistent management practices: Establishing uniform management and monitoring practices across on-premises and cloud platforms can be difficult, especially when dealing with different tools, policies, and teams.
• Vendor lock-in: Relying on specific cloud vendors for certain services can lead to vendor lock-in, reducing flexibility and making it difficult to switch or integrate with other providers in the future.
• Complexity in governance: Maintaining proper governance across both on-premises and cloud environments can be complicated, especially when ensuring consistent policies for access control, data privacy, and resource allocation.
• Change management: Adapting to a hybrid IT model may involve significant changes in business processes and culture, requiring effective change management strategies to ensure smooth adoption across the organization.

Benefits of hybrid IT infrastructure 

• Control Over Sensitive Data: Keeps critical applications and sensitive data on-premises, providing organizations with better control and compliance with data protection regulations.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Leverages the cloud for less-sensitive workloads, allowing businesses to scale resources up or down quickly based on demand without investing in additional on-premises infrastructure.
• Cost Optimization: Reduces upfront capital expenditure by using cloud resources for non-critical operations, while minimizing ongoing maintenance costs for on-premises infrastructure.
• Improved Performance: Optimizes performance by keeping high-performance, low-latency applications on-premises, while utilizing cloud resources for more flexible, distributed tasks.
• Enhanced Security: Balances the need for strict security on-premises with cloud-based services that offer advanced security features like encryption, threat detection, and disaster recovery.
• Business Continuity: Provides greater resilience and disaster recovery capabilities, as workloads can be quickly shifted between on-premises and cloud environments in case of failures.
• Customizable Solutions: Tailors the hybrid approach to meet the specific needs of different departments or applications, enabling a mix of public and private cloud, and on-premises resources.
• Faster Innovation: Accelerates digital transformation by adopting cloud-based tools and services while maintaining the reliability of existing infrastructure.
• Streamlined IT Management: Integrates on-premises and cloud systems seamlessly, allowing for simplified IT management through unified monitoring, orchestration, and automation tools.

5 Key Strategies for Successfully Implementing a Hybrid IT Environment

Implementing a hybrid IT infrastructure can be complex, requiring effective management, collaboration across teams, and specialized skills. Below are five essential strategies to ensure success:

• Utilize tools for enhanced visibility
  Leverage tools that offer deep insights into your applications and workloads, allowing you to optimize, troubleshoot, and resolve issues wherever they occur.
  • Example: Some tools offer real-time monitoring of cloud and on-premises environments, helping IT teams quickly identify and address performance bottlenecks.
• Adopt automation and distributed architectures
  To manage a hybrid IT model efficiently, organizations must be agile, cost-effective, and lean. This involves adopting modern technologies such as APIs, microservices, and automation to streamline scaling, movement, and remediation of applications and services.
  • Example: Container orchestration tools can automate deployment and scaling of applications across multiple environments.
• Monitor your hybrid IT infrastructure continuously
  A comprehensive monitoring strategy is essential to maintain a secure and optimized hybrid IT environment. Proactive monitoring allows IT teams to identify and resolve potential issues swiftly, ensuring performance and security across all systems.
  • Example: Some solutions offer centralized monitoring for both on-premises and cloud-based resources, providing a single view of the infrastructure’s health.
• Develop core technical skills
  Expertise in key areas such as APIs, application migration, distributed architectures, and infrastructure monitoring is crucial for managing a hybrid IT environment. These skills can be sourced both in-house or from cloud service providers.
  • Example: Knowledge of cloud services like AWS or Azure and expertise in tools like Terraform for infrastructure automation are critical for managing hybrid infrastructures.
• Maintain strong business skills
  Alongside technical expertise, business acumen is necessary to manage contracts, oversee project execution, and hire skilled personnel or partners who can contribute effectively to the hybrid IT strategy.
  • Example: Negotiating service-level agreements (SLAs) with cloud vendors or ensuring proper vendor management is essential to align IT capabilities with business objectives.

Further reading

Explore more on cloud infrastructures and inferences:

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