Why Hybrid Cloud Networks May Be the Worst of Both Worlds

A forthcoming O'Reilly book co-authored by networking experts argues that hybrid cloud environments combine the costs and complexities of both on-premises and cloud infrastructure while delivering few of the benefits of either. The authors note that even as enterprise cloud adoption has grown, investment in on-premises networking has simultaneously increased rather than declined. This trend reflects a growing understanding among IT professionals of where cloud is appropriate and where it falls short, leading organizations to repatriate workloads back to their data centers. The resulting hybrid 'franken-network' spans both environments, creating layered operational and security challenges. The authors liken the situation to hybrid cars, which carry the drawbacks of both combustion and electric systems while offering only modest advantages.