One of the most costly challenges in the multi-cloud environment is getting a clear look at how you utilize your tools and how much you’re spending. In fact, 47% of IT leaders managing hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures have said that:
“Getting a global view of utilization and spend is the top pain point.”
44% identified the biggest pain as keeping rising costs under control.
Clearly, the two are connected. And one of the biggest problems therein lies with vendor lock-in. We’re no longer living and working in times in which a software company can put all its eggs in one basket. It’s just too costly.
Relying on a single cloud provider can:
- Limit flexibility
- Increase costs over time
- Create dependency on one vendor.
Obviously, businesses need to shift to robust multi-cloud platforms. Organizations increasingly rely on cloud services to drive innovation and efficiency. And as a result, the complexity of managing multiple cloud providers has only grown.
Each cloud environment comes with its own set of:
- Tools
- Configurations
- Compliance requirements
This, of course, makes it challenging to maintain consistency and security across multiple platforms.
So what’s the solution?
You’ve got to leverage specialized tools designed to streamline multi-cloud management. These tools are your multi cloud management platforms. Their job is to make sure you get seamless integration and optimal performance every time.
They do this by giving you:
- Centralized control
- Automate workflows
- Enhance visibility
And this level of control, visibility, and automation allows you to optimize your resources and cut your costs. You can also improve your operational agility in today’s competitive digital landscape.
In this article, we’ll look at multi cloud management platforms that will help you move into the future. We’ll also give you helpful tips for implementing these tools and getting started today.
Key Takeaways
- Relying on a single cloud provider can limit flexibility. It can also increase costs and create dependency. A multi-cloud strategy helps businesses remain agile and competitive. It does this by leveraging the best services from a range of providers.
- Managing multiple cloud management platforms can be complex. Utilizing specialized multi-cloud management platforms ensures centralized control, automation, and cost optimization. This helps businesses streamline operations and enhance security.
- Adopting a multi cloud strategy isn’t enough. Organizations must assess their infrastructure and choose the right platform. They also need to integrate with existing systems and train their teams. Finally, they must make sure to continuously monitor performance. This will maximize the benefits of multi-cloud management.
The Evolution of Cloud Computing
Over time, cloud computing has shifted from a single provider adoption to hybrid and multi-cloud models. This shift reflects the business demand for resilience, choice, and control. In the past, cloud strategies made cost savings and scalability top priorities. But digital ecosystems grew and evolved. And companies began to dream bigger.
Now, we’re seeing companies demand greater interoperability and the ability to better protect against risk.
This evolution has created a landscape far more complex than we could have imagined. Now, you can manage workloads across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and even private environments. What was once a rare exception is now the norm.
Multi-cloud management platforms emerged in response to this evolution. They bridge the gap between innovation and complexity. They also give businesses the visibility and control they need to really get the benefits of modern cloud architectures.
Yes. It’s true that cloud computing has completely changed the way businesses operate.
It offers flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness like we’ve never seen. You can now deploy applications faster and cut your infrastructure costs, all while scaling your resources.
Still, managing various cloud providers can be a major undertaking.
That's because each provider has its own set of tools, compliance requirements, and service offerings. It’s a lot.
Plus, businesses have to navigate multiple challenges across the multi cloud environment.
These challenges can include:
- Data security
- Workload distribution
- Performance optimization
The rise of multi-cloud management platforms addresses these complexities. It does so by providing a unified interface to oversee and optimize cloud resources.
Today, you can run a private or private cloud service, or even a hybrid of the two.
These platforms allow businesses to maintain control, enhance security, and streamline operations. All of this while maximizing cloud efficiency.
Key Considerations
When evaluating multi cloud management platforms, you must factor in several key considerations.
Cost management is a critical factor. Cloud costs can quickly spiral out of control if you don’t properly monitor them. Businesses need tools that provide:
- Real-time cost tracking
- Budgeting
- Automated optimization to prevent unnecessary expenses
Security is also critical because of the sensitivity of data stored in the cloud. Organizations have to be able to guarantee:
- Compliance with industry regulations
- Implement strong access controls
- Protect against cyber threats
Additionally, scalability and compatibility with existing infrastructure are crucial for ensuring smooth operations. This isn’t just for today. It’s for your long-term growth. A strong multi-cloud management platform has to be able to handle increased workloads. And it has to do it without sacrificing performance. Meanwhile, it’s got to integrate with both your legacy on-premise system and your modern cloud-native applications.
Yes. It’s a tall order.
But this interoperability means businesses can move into the future at a pace that makes sense for them.
Your platform also has to be flexible. As your business’ requirements, compliance standards, and market conditions evolve, your platform must adapt. When your platform can be agile in this way, your organization can future-proof its operations. You can also remain highly competitive in these dynamic digital landscapes.
12 Top Multi-Cloud Platform Options
Now, as your business embraces multi-cloud strategies in order to better balance your costs and performance, you’ll want to make sure you choose the right platform. When you find the solution that works for your company, management becomes easier, and you can optimize your resources. You can also strengthen your security and control your costs, all across multiple environments.
To help you find the right platform, we’ve rounded up the top 12 multi-cloud management platforms. These stand out for their strengths, which include AI-driven automation, advanced monitoring, and cost optimization. And, of course, security. At the same time, you’ll see that each one of these has a different approach, so you can find one that best aligns with your company’s needs.
1. RightScale
RightScale is a leading multi-cloud management platform. Its best features are robust automation, monitoring, and cost management. It also offers advanced security measures and real-time analytics. This is a good pic if you’re looking to optimize private, public, or hybrid cloud resources.
2. CloudHealth
CloudHealth provides companies with comprehensive cloud cost management and optimization services. Its deep insight into cloud usage patterns lets businesses take a proactive approach to cost control. It also helps you make sure you’ve got efficient resource allocation.
3. Turbonomic
Turbonomic's AI-driven approach to cloud management is fantastic for optimal performance and resource use. It also integrates with various cloud services, so you can count on real-time monitoring and automation.
4. Datadog
Users recognize Datadog for its extensive monitoring capabilities across multiple cloud platforms. Its interactive dashboard gives users a unified view of all your cloud resources. This makes it easy to troubleshoot and optimize your performance.
5. Sigma Computing
Sigma Computing offers an intuitive platform for multi-cloud data analytics and visualization. It makes complex data sets simple, which can help you make data-driven decisions with ease.
6. CloudZero
CloudZero specializes in cloud cost management. It offers users detailed insights into their cloud spending. Its granular breakdown of costs can help you identify areas for cutting expenses. It will also help you optimize your cloud budgets.
7. ControlPlane
ControlPlane is a multi-cloud security platform. It provides excellent protection for the sensitive data you’ve got stored in the hybrid cloud. Its advanced threat detection and response capabilities help you make sure your cloud-based applications are secure.
8. Firefly.ai
Firefly.ai is a cutting-edge AI-driven multi-cloud management platform. It will automate routine tasks and optimize the allocation of your resources. Its predictive analytics help you prepare for and manage any potential issues before they become problems.
9. Elastic
Elastic provides powerful monitoring and analytics capabilities for multi-cloud environments. Its flexible architecture gives you the seamless integration you’ve got to have with various cloud services. This gives you comprehensive visibility into all your cloud resources.
10. Google Cloud Solution Architecture
The Google Cloud Solution Architecture team offers customized multi-cloud strategy development services. This team specializes in cloud migration and management. Having that kind of expertise on your side with the Google cloud platform is a good guarantee you’ll have a smooth transition to a multi-cloud environment.
11. Microsoft Azure Advisor
Microsoft Azure Advisor provides actionable recommendations to optimize your cloud resources. It bases these recommendations on your usage patterns and your performance metrics. It also has an intuitive interface that makes the process of managing multi-cloud environments feel super simple.
12. AWS Well-Architected Tool
The AWS Well-Architected Tool evaluates the operational best practices for running workloads. You can run these in either AWS or other cloud platforms. It also offers a comprehensive framework that helps you keep your cloud deployments secure. It’s reliable and efficient, and it will help you optimize your costs.
How to Orchestrate Implementation
Of course, you’ll want to be strategic about implementing a multi-cloud platform. This will help you make sure you integrate well with existing systems and infrastructure. Here are some key strategies to consider:
- Assess Your Current Infrastructure
You’ll always start any shift by assessing what you already have. This clear-eyed view helps you identify areas where a multi-cloud management can bring you value.
- Choose the Right Platform
Evaluate your options above, and choose a platform that aligns with your specific needs. This could mean you prioritize cost management, security, scalability, or another factor. Or it could be a combination of many.
- Integrate with Existing Tools
You’ve got to make sure that whatever platform you pick integrates with your existing tools and systems. That way, you won’t be disrupting your daily operations and bringing everything to a halt.
- Train Your Team
If you want real success, you must train your IT team thoroughly on the new platform. You’ll maximize just how effective your new platform can be.
- Monitor and Optimize
Finally, be sure to regularly monitor your cloud usage and optimize your resources. You can base your metrics on your real-time analytics to achieve optimal performance and cost efficiency.
Look, these multi-cloud environments are complex. And they require sophisticated tools and strategies as a result. The 12 top multi-cloud management platforms highlighted here offer multi cloud solutions to many of those complexities.
Each is ideal for different organizational needs.
Of course, there are other great platforms, like the Oracle cloud infrastructure. But we’ve included here the ones currently performing the best in the market.
When you work with one of these platforms, you can streamline your cloud deployments. You can also enhance your security and cut your costs.
This is a crucial step towards achieving highly effective and efficient operations in 2025 and beyond. You’ll also be able to continue to evolve in this digital age.
As you do, leveraging your cloud deployment tools is essential. This will help you stay competitive and adaptable.
Also consider looking into: Cloud Services | Optimize Cloud Development Operations
DuploCloud Is the Winner Among Multi Cloud Management Platforms
Yes. We gave you a list of 12 multi cloud management platforms. But we didn’t put the number one multi cloud management platform on the list. The truth is, you can get rid of both your DevOps hiring needs and streamline your multi cloud management with DuploCloud.
DuploCloud is your multi cloud management tool.
With us, you can deploy secure, compliant infrastructure in days, not months.
Then, you’ll be able to speed up your launch by automating complex DevOps tasks.
With built-in security, compliance, and scalability, DuploCloud helps businesses just like yours.
You can cut way back on operational overhead while maintaining full control over your cloud environments.
Join thousands of Dev teams who are reclaiming their valuable time and resources by eliminating manual configurations and maintenance.
Our platform also integrates with major cloud providers. This helps you stay flexible and efficient across multi-cloud deployments.
You can drive cost savings, enhance security, and speed up time-to-market with DuploCloud’s multicloud management.
Schedule a 30-minute live demo today to see us in action.
FAQs
What is a multi-cloud management platform?
A multi-cloud management platform is a tool.
It helps organizations manage multiple cloud environments from different providers.
It also gives you centralized control, automation, security monitoring, and cost optimization.
So you get operations across various cloud services.
Why should businesses adopt a multi-cloud strategy?
A multi-cloud strategy prevents vendor lock-in and enhances reliability. It also helps you optimize your costs. It provides greater flexibility when you have to choose the best services from your different cloud providers. Finally, it can help you comply with regulatory requirements and improve disaster recovery capabilities.
How do I choose the right multi-cloud management platform?
The best platform is going to depend on your organization's priorities, always. These might include cost management, security, scalability, and integration capabilities. Take the time to consider platforms that align with your business needs. Also, prioritize automation to save you both time and money. Finally, look for one that provides real-time analytics, so you can make better decisions.
What are the biggest challenges of managing a multi-cloud environment?
One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to maintain security across different platforms. This includes managing cloud costs and ensuring seamless integration between services. It also means keeping up with compliance requirements as they continue to evolve. When you use the right multi-cloud management tools, you can help mitigate these challenges.
