New research commissioned by OVHcloud, Europe’s cloud provider, unveils critical insights into the adoption and usage of multi-cloud environments by large organisations in the UK.

Polling over 500 IT decision-makers, the study finds that 62% of large organisations are presently utilising a multi-cloud environment, with an additional 18% actively transitioning to one.

The report titled 'The State of Multi-Cloud' reveals that almost two-thirds (64%) of organisations anticipate an increase in their use of multi-cloud over the next two years.

Matt Tebay of OVHcloud explains: “Using the right cloud for the right workload is rapidly being accepted as the best way to do business today." He adds that despite the complexity it may introduce, the benefits of multi-cloud are clear. Astonishingly, only 3% of organisations predict their use of multi-cloud will decline in the next two years, and less than 1% have no plans to adopt it.

The report highlights the several advantages perceived by organisations in adopting multi-cloud environments. Half of the respondents identified the inherent flexibility of multi-cloud that enables running workloads in suitable environments as one of its major strengths. Other key benefits flagged by the participants include improved agility (41%), cost-effectiveness and access to superior infrastructure on an OpEx basis (40%), and reduced organisational risk (39%) owing to decreased points of failure.

Despite the challenges, the potential operational gains from applying the right application to the most suited cloud are significant. "Although working in multiple cloud environments can require higher levels of skills and training, when executed well it can grant both enhanced agility and a robust commercial ROI," Tebay contends.

However, the study also cites potential challenges with multi-cloud environments. The technical complexity of multi-cloud was named as a main concern or area of risk by 27% of IT decision-makers. Furthermore, an expanded physical estate implying a greater number of endpoints to secure, thereby presenting more possible vulnerabilities, worries 31% of the respondents.

Such complexities seem to explain why just under half (46%) of the respondents admit to being 'on the road' to multi-cloud adoption, proceeding one step at a time. Nevertheless, nearly a quarter (23%) of IT decision-makers contend their usage of multi-cloud was 'plain sailing,' and they have reaped significant benefits. "This shows the real impact of a mature, well-thought-out approach to multi-cloud," concludes Tebay.

The study included 504 IT decision-makers belonging to large organisations with 201 – 700 employees and was conducted by market research agency Censuswide.