IT prediction: Multicloud is a phase, not the final destination

Editor's note: This post is part of an ongoing series on IT predictions from Google Cloud experts. Check out the full list of our predictions on how IT will change in the coming years.

Prediction: Over half of all organizations using public cloud will freely switch their primary cloud provider as a result of available multicloud capabilities

In the years ahead, companies will use a multicloud strategy not just as a way to hedge their bets, but as a way to switch from their first cloud to their next one. Research shows that the majority of companies are already multicloud, meaning they use more than one hyperscale cloud provider. 

More and more, we’re talking to companies that describe using multicloud technologies as a way to do switch not just workloads — but mindshare — to a different cloud. In other words, for many people, multicloud is a phase, not a permanent state. 

You may start using one cloud but still need to be able to incorporate existing investments you’ve already made in other clouds without having to move anything. Here at Google Cloud, we’ve made unique investments to make sure we can meet our customers wherever, and in whatever cloud, they are. 

For instance, Anthos, our multicloud management plane, ensures consistency when working with your compute and data on other clouds. You can view workloads, deploy services, and apply common security policies across multiple clouds. BigQuery Omni allows you to query data in other cloud storage accounts in Amazon S3 or Azure Storage without having to move the data itself, helping to bring analytics to data wherever it resides. 

Building new skills and getting comfortable in other clouds is not where multicloud stops. Many organizations are taking it a step further — upgrading technology, moving core data, and continuing to grow cloud adoption with a secondary provider. 

What starts out as wanting the best capabilities to achieve IT goals will often lead organizations to swap from their first cloud to their next cloud — and by 2025, we believe that most organizations will be doing just that.