Businesses are falling out of love with the cloud, but hybrid IT is fixing their broken hearts. What can be done to make sure your hybrid strategy doesn’t end in heartbreak?
Not too long ago, going all-in on the cloud was the obvious move. The cloud was faster, more flexible, and more affordable. And it was a lot easier to maintain a cloud estate than it was a clunky on-prem setup.
And the cloud delivered on all of those things… until it didn’t.
Now, businesses are asking new questions: ‘Why does our cloud spend keep climbing every month?’ ‘Why do we have five different project management tools?’ And ‘who approved that SaaS platform in the first place?’
If your cloud estate feels chaotic, a hybrid IT strategy can give you back control.
When the cloud gets cluttered
It usually sneaks up on you. Overlapping tools, conflicting licenses, and a massive monthly bill for cloud services that IT didn’t even know about.
Without the right governance, strategy, and TLC, it’s easy to end up with cloud sprawl – a complex and costly cloud estate that isn’t delivering enough value.
And so, cloud repatriation (i.e. bringing workloads back on-prem) has been a big focus for a lot of businesses. This could look like shifting core systems on-prem, consolidating cloud services, or simplifying environments that have become too complex to manage.
It important to note that it’s not a complete rejection of the cloud. You’d struggle to find a modern business that was 100% cloud-free, because they simply wouldn’t be able to operate without it. What’s actually happening, is more businesses are moving back to hybrid IT. But in a more strategic way than before.
IT leaders aren’t ditching the cloud, they’re just choosing different approaches where it makes more sense.
Hybrid IT is how you control cloud costs without going to extremes. It gives you flexibility, structure, and control, without having to rip everything out and start again.
The sweet spot between cloud freedom and control
An effective hybrid IT strategy considers everything from cost and compliance, to IT management and security, which makes it easier to decide whether the cloud is the right choice, or maybe on-prem is a better fit. It’s about running workloads where they make the most sense instead of defaulting to the cloud for everything. Hybrid IT doesn’t reject the cloud, it just means being smarter with where things live, and why.
A hybrid IT setup can help you:
- Cut costs without cutting performance
Keep predictable, long-running workloads on-prem or in private cloud to save money – and scale to public cloud when you need to.
- Stay compliant and in control
Sensitive data stays close to home. That means no worrying about where it’s hosted, or whether it ticks the right regulatory boxes.
- Make latency-sensitive apps happier
Things like real-time analytics or manufacturing systems need speed and reliability. Local hosting wins on both.
- Dodge vendor lock-in (and surprise costs)
With the right hybrid setup, you stay flexible, without cloud sprawl, or the angry emails from your finance team.
It’s about balance: cloud where it helps, and on-prem where it saves. Either way, you’re in control.
How to build a hybrid IT environment that works
Hybrid IT isn’t just about the tech. It’s a mindset shift – and it works best when it’s done with intent. Here’s how to start:
- Map what you’ve got (and what it’s costing)
Take a proper look under the hood. What’s running where? What’s actually being used? What’s costing more than it’s worth?
- Set ground rules
Define who can provision services, which tools are approved, and what “good” looks like. You’ll stop sprawl before it starts.
- Design a hybrid IT setup that works like a single system
Public cloud, private cloud, on-prem – they should all work together with unified monitoring and security. No silos. No blind spots.
- Keep tuning, keep improving
Hybrid IT isn’t set-and-forget. You need to constantly track and evolve to meet changing requirements. Monitor usage, shift workloads, and make sure your cloud spend is actually worth it.
A hybrid IT strategy is a smarter IT strategy
Hybrid IT gives you what most businesses want from technology in 2025: choice, clarity, and control, without complexity. A hybrid IT strategy isn’t a step backwards – when it’s done right (design, implemented, and evolved) it’s a giant leap towards a smarter IT landscape.
At the 848 Group, we make sure things are done the right way. We help ambitious organisations let go of legacy thinking and create an intelligent IT environment that grows with them.
We design hybrid IT environments that are cost-effective, secure, and built to make your business smarter.
Become an intelligent businesses with 848
If you’ve outgrown your current IT setup, we’re here as a strategic IT partner to help you get to the next level and use technology to continuously improve, adapt, and evolve.
Whether you want to refine your hybrid IT strategy or just need someone to get your cloud estate back under control, we can help. Drop us a message today.