Cloud computing continues to evolve, and 2025 is shaping up to be a year of exponential growth for advanced cloud adoption.
Companies are accelerating their digital transformation to boost efficiency and competitiveness, with a strong focus on security, scalability, and cost optimization.

According to the Osservatorio Cloud Transformation by Politecnico di Milano, 60% of large Italian enterprises already adopt a multi-cloud strategy, while hybrid cloud usage among SMEs has grown by 21%.
Both models offer clear advantages — but they also come with challenges that require careful evaluation.
The choice between them depends on multiple factors: operational needs, available budget, and the required level of control over IT infrastructure.

For many SMEs, cloud computing is now a cornerstone of digital transformation.
Yet, choosing the right adoption model is far from simple.
Is it better to rely on a hybrid cloud, combining on-premise resources with public cloud services, or to adopt a multi-cloud strategy, distributing workloads across multiple providers?

At first glance, both options look appealing.
But in practice, the reality is more complex.
For many SMEs, multi-cloud can turn out to be more of a chimera than a true opportunity.
On the other hand, relying on a single provider can lead to costly and risky lock-ins.

So perhaps the real question isn’t “Which cloud should I choose?”
but rather “How can I run my applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure?”

Let’s change perspective and explore what really matters.

What Is Hybrid Cloud?

The hybrid cloud model combines on-premise resources with public cloud services.
It’s often chosen by companies that:

• Have already invested in physical servers and want to maximize their value.

• Must comply with strict security and data protection regulations.

• Prefer a gradual transition to the cloud rather than a full migration.

Example:
A manufacturing company might keep its ERP system on-premise for compliance and security reasons, while using public cloud tools for collaboration and email.
This allows modernization without disrupting operations.

Advantages:

• Greater control over sensitive or regulated data.

• Leverages existing hardware to reduce upfront costs.

• Enables gradual, low-risk migration to the cloud.

Disadvantages:

• Complex integration between on-premise and cloud environments.

• Higher operational costs due to local infrastructure maintenance.

• Limited scalability compared to full public cloud.

• Requires advanced IT skills to manage dual infrastructure.

What Is Multi-Cloud?

Multi-cloud means using multiple providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.) to distribute applications and data.

Potential benefits include:

• Avoiding vendor lock-in and maintaining flexibility.

• Cost optimization by choosing the most convenient provider for each need.

• Greater resilience by reducing dependency on a single supplier.

Example:
An e-commerce business might use AWS for data hosting, Azure for analytics, and Google Cloud for machine learning.
This setup increases scalability, cuts response time by 30%, and enhances data security — while staying independent from any single vendor.

Advantages:

• Full flexibility in service selection.

• Avoids lock-in to a single provider.

• Cost optimization through provider choice.

• Improved redundancy and resilience.

Disadvantages:

• Complex management of multiple environments.

• Potentially high operational costs without strong governance.

• Requires advanced orchestration and monitoring tools.

• Possible interoperability and identity-management issues.

Which Model Should You Choose?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer — but that might not be the right question to begin with.

The choice between hybrid and multi-cloud depends not only on business needs and strategy, but also on your ability to master the underlying technologies.
Another key factor is governance: SMEs must evaluate management, security, and compliance tools that support their chosen model while reducing operational complexity.

But let’s be realistic:
Is multi-cloud truly feasible for an SME?

On paper, spreading workloads across multiple clouds is an elegant idea.
In reality, for smaller organizations, it’s rarely sustainable:

• Managing multiple clouds is complex and resource-intensive.

• Without a solid governance strategy, operational costs can soar.

• Security and interoperability challenges often emerge, especially around identity and access management.

The result?
Many SMEs talk multi-cloud — but end up locked into a single provider.

A Shift in Perspective: Focus on Deployment, Not Infrastructure

If multi-cloud is complex, hybrid cloud restrictive, and vendor lock-in risky, what’s the alternative?
It lies in changing the focus — from where to host to how to deploy.

Instead of deciding upfront which infrastructure to use, companies should ask:
How can I release and run my applications in the most efficient way — without worrying about the cloud underneath?

An agnostic deployment model allows you to:

• Deploy applications wherever it makes the most sense for your business.

• Retain full flexibility to choose (and switch) providers.

• Avoid lock-in and migrate easily when needed.

• Simplify infrastructure management and reduce orchestration overhead.

In practice, this means leveraging containerization and orchestration technologies to build portable applications that run anywhere — from AWS to private clouds — without rewriting code or reconfiguring everything from scratch.

Towards a Smarter Hybrid Multi-Cloud Strategy

For SMEs, the real solution isn’t choosing between hybrid and multi-cloud —
it’s adopting a deployment-agnostic strategy that enables them not to choose at all.

A hybrid multi-cloud model combines the best of both worlds:

• The control of hybrid architectures for critical data and applications.

• The freedom of multi-cloud, without its complexity.

• Simplified management through intelligent deployment and orchestration tools.

How to Get There

Adopting a hybrid multi-cloud approach without the right tools is challenging.
That’s where intelligent deployment solutions come in.

For example, Cloudsome enables teams to deploy applications independently of infrastructure, without worrying which cloud provider is being used.
That means you can focus on what really matters — running your applications efficiently and securely.

If switching cloud providers today feels like a major project, it’s time to rethink your strategy.
Discover how Cloudsome helps you build a simplified hybrid multi-cloud architecture — one that adapts to your business, not the other way around.

Book a meeting with our experts to find the right path for your organization.