Toe in the cloud

create these hybrid solutions? It can be difficult when the cloud is 2,000 miles away and you're trying to solve the physics problem better known as the speed of light. If your cloud is at a distance, then a hybrid strategy is probably limited to applications that can utilize the cloud for batch processing of some sort. You might also make use of cloud storage for applications that are not sensitive to latency or for which you can cache data locally.

But there are even better hybrid options on the horizon and even some available today. Providers that offer cloud and complement it with traditional infrastructure in the same data center can open up a larger set of options than cloud-only providers. Imagine having the cloud connected to your physical servers via gigabit Ethernet rather than over the Internet. This type of hybrid approach offers the most flexibility and is emerging as a promising way to take advantage of computing as a service without the tradeoffs.

If nothing else, the current financial pressures are spawning innovation and companies are suddenly willing to try new things. If you're making any changes in your infrastructure strategy, take a hard look at this type of hybrid cloud solution. It could save a lot of capex dollars and allow you to continue to grow in this economy.

Most businesses are still very in favor of managing their data in a traditional manner. And no one is going to make a wholesale shift to cloud hosting overnight. But as the business climate changes, we can expect to see more business and IT professionals adapt, overcome and improvise with one foot in the cloud and the other on more solid and familiar ground.

Engates is CTO of Rackspace.