The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated state and local governments ability to shift on the fly. While work-from-home arrangements were sporadic pre-pandemic, government technology leaders quickly and effectively adapted to the new requirements. In Tennessee, more than half of all government employees were teleworking this spring, and in Massachusetts over 90 percent of back-office staff were working remotely.

Cloud played a key role in empowering the rapid transition to new modes of work. Microsoft, for instance, announced in March that use of its cloud-based messaging and collaboration tools had jumped 37 percent in one week, at one point logging 900 million meeting and call minutes a week.

In the COVID-19 crisis, cloud and software-as-a-service proved their utility, their versatility and their scalability. Government and private-sector technology executives say this practical demonstration will accelerate the adoption of cloud and SaaS going forward. A recent Flexera survey found 59 percent of enterprise IT leaders plan to increase cloud adoption either slightly or significantly as a result of COVID-19. More than one in three executives see the pandemic as an impetus to digitally transform their business, according to a survey by software-maker Wind River.

Government was headed this way already. NASCIOs 2019 state CIO survey showed 34 percent of IT leaders had a cloud migration strategy in place and 51 percent had a strategy in development. The Center for Digital Government (CDG)* has also been tracking changing attitudes toward cloud technologies in cities, counties and states for several years. COVID-19 has opened up the throttle on those efforts.

Arkansas CTO Yessica Jones said cloud technologies not only enabled state employees to telework, but in many cases made them more productive. / Credit:David Kidd

In a recent CDG webinar, state IT chiefs from California, Indiana and Arkansas all described the use of cloud and SaaS technologies as key to their successful COVID-19 response.

In Indiana, CIO Tracy Barnes and his team supported some 120 state agencies in the push to work from home, and investments made last fall in cloud-enabled services helped make that transition possible. His department had been piloting Office 365, laying out governance for the use of such tools before the pandemic hit.

That early investment allowed for us to quickly scale and stand up and expand our footprint, to support the massive work-from-home need that hit us almost overnight, he said.

Californias state IT shop has been aggressively pursuing cloud since 2016, an effort that paid off in the COVID-19 crisis. CIO Amy Tong reported that 90 percent of some 200,000 state employees were able to transition smoothly to a telework environment.

Hardware presented an initial challenge, Tong said: Existing rules required employees to use state-owned laptops when working remotely, in order to ensure security, but there werent enough such devices available. Tongs office flexed the rules, implementing uniform security protocols that made it safe for workers to access government systems via their personal devices.

The ability to more easily implement new security protocols may be one of the chief benefits of working in a cloud environment. A recent NASCIO survey found that among government IT leaders who have implemented cloud applications and services, 53 percent say those uses are governed centrally. Advocates for cloud and SaaS have long said that centralized governance offers a way to bolster security across an organization.

We have to make sure that we are delivering service that truly is able to be accessed and utilized by our users across the state. How do we do that with a pending massive budget cut? Thats going to be the big challenge. Indiana CIO Tracy Barnes

The state of Arkansas likewise benefited from cloud, with CTO Yessica Jones also supporting a rapid shift to telework. When it was time to stand up a call center, and we really needed to do it very quickly, pieces of that call center went to the cloud, she said. The pandemic unemployment assistance program also ramped up rapidly via a cloud deployment, and cloud has continued to play a role in supporting state employees return to work, with SaaS-enabled temperature measuring stations.

In some cases, the successful transition to telework didnt just make state employees capable it made them better.

Jones office polled remote workers part-way into the crisis, and while some said they missed the daily interaction with co-workers, others mentioned that working from home allowed them to pay more attention to long-overdue tasks, she said. This aligns with private-sector experiences: A recent report from CNBC/Change Research found 60 percent of workers say they are either as productive or even more productive working from home.

Around the nation, cloud and SaaS proved their worth in a number of ways amid the pandemic. The Illinois Department of Employment Security used Googles cloud-based contact center technology to handle more than 140,000 phone and Web inquiries a day, said Todd Schroeder, director of Global Public Sector Digital Strategy with Google Cloud.

He also pointed to the Chicago Public Health Department, which leveraged their technology to build a health app to deliver important information and guidance directly to affected people.

Cloud offered states a means to meet the need for large-scale remote access to key business applications, even as demand for services from citizens and other key constituents skyrocketed virtually overnight. Its the scalability of having services in the cloud that allowed many of these public services to be quickly ramped up to deal with the public demand, Tong said.

Jones has reached a similar conclusion. For this particular event, how things developed so quickly, it really made good sense to just stand up cloud services for whatever the needs were, she said. One state saw a 400 percent jump in unemployment claims. Legacy systems couldnt keep pace, and CRM provider Salesforce worked with state officials to swiftly implement a cloud-based solution.

In less than a week, we set up a virtual contact center, so that no one had to be in the call center sitting at a desk, said Salesforce SVP of Global Government Solutions Casey Coleman. With those digital capabilities they were able to work through that backlog, process the applications and get money into the hands of people who were in urgent need of assistance.

For states already on the journey to the cloud, and for those still waiting in the wings, experts say the successful push to telework this spring could provide the catalyst for accelerated adoption.

While many states have had some form of cloud first ambition in play in recent years, finances have proven to be a stumbling block for some. In a shift from legacy-era capital expenditures to a modernized operating-expenditure model, some have found it difficult to offer solid metrics around return on investment.

IT leaders could point to cost savings through data center consolidation as a clear win for SaaS, along with other incremental gains. But the financial adjustment from CapEx to OpEx isnt apples-to-apples, and that made it hard to nail down a definitive ROI.

With the productivity gains evident in the COVID-19 telework experience, it may become possible to generate a fuller economic argument in favor of cloud and SaaS. That economic argument becomes all the more persuasive, given that many states will face budget cuts as tax revenues decline amid the COVID-19-related economic downturn.

Barnes said the economic considerations will be a key factor in determining his states future embrace of modern solutions. We have to make surethat we are delivering service that truly is able to be accessed and utilized by our users across the state. How do we do that with a pending massive budget cut? he said. Thats going to be the big challenge.

Indeed, the expected downturn is starting to materialize, forcing creative approaches like Ohios recent request of its contractors, including those delivering IT services, to take a 15 percent pay cut on current contracts.

Part of the answer lies in a more aggressive uptake of cloud and SaaS solutions. Where we can definitely show value and potentially show a decrease in cost and spend, lets look at what pieces we can start transitioning to the cloud and offloading from our internal support, Barnes said.

If anything, state CIOs say, tight fiscal times could help them make the case for more as-a-service offerings. We are in a digital era, which means [we need] continuous investment into digital services, Tong said.

The move to cloud has been an evolutionary exercise in state government. After initial forays proved successful, many adopted a cloud first approach, saying they would consider cloud and SaaS options first as they sought to modernize legacy systems.

More recently, forward-thinking CIOs have adapted this slightly. Arkansas calls its strategy cloud right, while California is pursuing a cloud smart approach. This emerging terminology points to a more finessed approach to modernization, one that state CIOs say will be reflected in their post-COVID-19 efforts to broaden cloud adoption.

Jones said of her team, were still firm believers in cloud. But that belief does not equate to blind faith.

We believe that not everything is a good fit whether it is the visibility, the cost the security of the data, she said. There are many different things to be taken into consideration before moving an application or data to the cloud.

Barnes described a similar approach unfolding in Indiana. Do you aggressively start pushing everything to the cloud? he asked. Short answer: No. The longer answer depends on the specific application or process, as well as the agency or department that owns or relies on that application. We always have to be focused on that business need.

Certain situations may be a natural fit for cloud, but if the business is not ready, if the business is not capable, if the business doesnt understand the need and the opportunity with utilizing cloud tools and technologies then we cant start pushing every technology and every solution down that path, he said.

Some applications will be a fit probably many, as IT seeks to reduce the cost burden surrounding upkeep of legacy systems, while simultaneously building in a new level of digital resiliency in response to the unexpected nature of the COVID-19 crisis.

Cloud vendors say the success of cloud-based responses to the pandemic helped to prove out the case for modernization. IT leaders may have already understood the value of cloud and SaaS, but now these organizations can point to tangible outcomes. They were able to serve their constituents overnight, Schroeder said.

Those who may have hesitated in the past either because of budgetary concerns or fears of breaking ties with their legacy provider have discovered those fears were groundless. We proved it all wrong, Schroeder said.

This argument that we cannot touch the mainframe well, we had to change it because it couldnt evolve to meet the pandemic requirements, and it worked, he said. It delivered unprecedented volumes of benefit. That will make people think about what else they can accomplish going forward. We are seeing the paradigm shift in motion.

Salesforce has worked with 35 states during the pandemic crisis, and has also seen those governments leverage cloud in ways that could support further SaaS implementations in the future.

Our customers will be able to take what theyre already doing and activate new capabilities for the next phase, said Coleman. Its about reopening the workplace safely and figuring out what digital channels need to be put in place [for citizens], in an environment where we still need to be social distancing, she said.

State CIOs agree that state-level cloud engagements will likely expand more rapidly in the post-COVID-19 world but only if theres enough bandwidth to go around. Connectivity will be a key factor in helping to determine how fast and how far they can push their cloud deployments.

Not every single spot has a broadband connection, Tong said. Not every single spot has good Wi-Fi, or a Wi-Fi connection at the speed and affordability that even many of our state employees could manage.

Barnes said connectivity proved a sticking point during the COVID-19 outbreak. Even getting employees to work from home in some of our rural areas was a bit of a challenge, he said. Its availability, reliability and affordability because even in some areas where there is sufficient coverage, its not always affordable to actually get connectivity and get those folks up and running.

The issue will likely need to be addressed in support of future cloud and SaaS efforts. You have to work very aggressively with the providers in your state to make sure that they realize and see that there is a priority of getting connections in an aggressive manner, he said.

Tong pointed to support from Internet service providers and even the FCC as possible means to bridge the gap where connectivity is lacking. This could mean pushing government documents across public Wi-Fi, and while this wouldnt be inherently risky, it would require a higher level of user awareness. Government workers would need to be taught what kinds of information can and cannot be shared across such a connection while still maintaining appropriate safeguards around privacy and security, she said.

That willingness to explore uncharted territory some might call it taking risks may be one fortuitous outcome of the tragedy of COVID-19.

We actually have this saying were on COVID-19 time meaning things that typically take two weeks, for example, to do, we need to do in two to three days, Tong said. Dont wait for that perfection. Take the risk. Do the best thinking and discovery, and be methodical as much as you can, and then just go. Move the ball forward.

Historically risk-averse, government had to act fast in the face of the pandemic. The fact that it was able to successfully shift on the fly may have emboldened some in government IT to pursue projects including cloud and SaaS that in the past may have seemed problematic.

Even before COVID-19, many state CIOs had cloud and SaaS high on their to-do lists. The NASCIO survey, for instance, found 92 percent of state IT leaders planned to expand their use of as-a-service models in the next three years. Those stats are supported by Center for Digital Government data from IT leaders in states, cities and counties alike. Looking ahead, state CIOs say they are widening that vision.

Beyond just putting cloud in place in situations where it is appropriate, they are thinking about new strategies for ensuring that those as-a-service solutions are robust enough not just to support todays uses, but to withstand tomorrows unforeseen needs.

We really need to start thinking into the future in case another event such as a pandemic hits, and how that solution will stand up against that, Jones said.

*The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology's parent company.

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2020 Puts Cloud Computing in Government to the Test - GovTech

OnAug. 27, the Launching Ceremony for XnMatrix the Next Cloud Computing Platform and IPFS distributed Storage Eco-System, by the guidance of Hainan Provincial Industry and Information Technology Department, organized by Hainan Anmai Cloud Network Technology Co. Ltd. and co-organized by Hainan Free Trade Port Blockchain Pilot Area, was held inHaikou.

The ceremony was opened up byMi Jia, COO of organizer Hainan Anmai Network Technology Co. Ltd., who gavethe keynote speech onComputing Civilization and Society Motivation.

The speech delivered byWu Wenjie, Chairman of XnMatrix, was the highlight of the conference which unveiled the next generation of cloud computing platform XnMatrix, the digital civilization strategy and product launch.

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Computing is the energy, storage the soil. Algorithm is the laws of life to the digital society which, based on math, blockchain, smart contract, will become the rule of the society and create a digital civilized time that is more effective and orderly, Wenjie said. The digital civilization strategy of XnMatrix is based on the blockchain system with privacy computing and automatic contract and verificationas its essentialsso as to build a world-leading decentralized cloud computing platform whose mission is to create the underlying infrastructure of the digital civilization world that can help people to embrace the data privacy and human-machine interaction secure challenge caused in the time of smart machine. XnMatrix, via the four underlying frameworks which include decentralized network, contract, infrastructure service and application service, has carried out four standardized products in use, including cloud pay, cloud GPU, cloud storage as well as IPFS cloud host. Besides, industry solutions like IPFS technology, computing power store, digital asset bank has also been put in use.

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The three tech sources of XnMatrixGlacier Lab, X Lab, and Oxford Digital Asset Research Institute all showed up. The tech achievements of the three labs step up the improvement on the XnMatrix platform at a high speed.

Ma Siyuan, Board Secretary of XnMatrix, delivered a speech on the gem of the thoughts of this conference, agreeing with the value of the four propositions for the decentralized cloud computing industry. These four propositions are the consensus reached by all the experts, elites in all the industries, tech talents and eco-system representatives presented at the conference. They will, from the perspective of politics, industry, academics, research, and application, examine the industry system on the basis of the four propositions. The conference presented the value of the next generation of the cloud computing platform by multi-dimension, co-witnessing a comprehensive definition of the next generation of the cloud computing value standard and lending support to the digital eco-system to make sure it goes a long way at a steady pace.

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The Launching Ceremony for XnMatrix Wrapped Up, the Next Generation of Cloud Computing Eco-System Sets Sail - AiThority

Covid-19 changed everything. It changed where we work, how we communicate, travel, shop, what we buy and how much. Many companies are struggling to cope with these changes. Suddenly, well-known models of operations and strategies dont work anymore.

One thing, however, didnt changethe importance of using up-to-date, trustworthy data that supports strategic and operational decisions. In light of all the market changes, the challenge today is how to build data strategies and deploy modern data solutions, but with a smaller budget.

When working with our clients on several different data projects, weve noticed that they often suffer from:

As a consequence of these issues, its difficult to access up-to-date, relevant data, making it even more difficult to make timely and accurate business decisions.

Woking together with our clients to overcome these very issues, weve created a method that enables us to efficiently deliver data solutions in line with our approach to DataOps.

What does DataOps mean to us? Well, we see it as an overall approach to data analytics that enables you to make precise, informed decisions across your entire organisation. It combines three key dimensions: processes, tools, and people.

DataOps processes

To be able to use data in your day-to-day operationswhether that concerns daily product ordering, your sales strategy for the next quarter, or HR mattersyou must be able to trust it.

Automation

Even slight inconsistencies in data points can influence the overall outcome and lead to false conclusions. Therefore, a strong emphasis on data quality processes during development and automatic data monitoring and alerting after the solution goes live is crucial. If you have trust in your data management, youll be able to automate a significant portion of your decision-making processesleaving the bulk of the work to the algorithms and freeing up your employees to focus on more strategic tasks. For instance, data automation and AI can be applied to streamline supply chain management, online marketing, fraud detection, and much more.

Data security

The new GDPR restrictions sometimes seem so intimidating that clients prefer to keep their data in silos, missing out on the opportunity to leverage integrating their data with other sources as a result. To be able to securely integrate your data with various data sourcesand reap the resulting benefitsthe key is a good understanding of available solutions, security limitations, and a proper set of process rules, which could be applied across your entire organisation. Many clients dont even realise how much can be achieved with their data without even coming close to having to use stored personal information.

Delivery

Last but not least, the process of delivering data projects might be considered a challenge. Building a corporate data warehouse might seem like a years long project. However, with the right approach to iterative delivery and agile principles, a BI team can deliver an MVP in just a few weeks, enabling you to take advantage of your data as soon as possible.

Theres a reason why DataOps sounds similar to DevOpsDevOps is a crucial part of DataOps. Automated CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) processes are often neglected by BI providers. Its a shame, because such tools significantly shorten the development cycle in data projects and help govern the quality of delivery.

Test automation

When on the topic of CI/CD, its worth mentioning the topic of test automation. Running automated regression tests between newly developed versions of your reports (as opposed to production versions) can greatly accelerate the testing process. Doing so will enable you to check hundreds of reports every time your BI tool is upgraded to a newer version. This kind of efficiency optimisation can also be gained by running automated tests when migrating a system to a new database engine.

Data reconciliation is crucial for every data project. End-to-end testingfrom the source system to a data point shown on the dashboardhelps to build trust in the data and assures users that its reliable.

Machine learning models

The same rules apply when we employ Machine Learning (ML) models in our data solutionstaking advantage of automation can help produce better outcomes.

For a Data Scientist, it could be easier to develop prototypes in Jupiter Notebooks, but a mature approach to the development of such solutions cannot be based purely on this. What is needed is a balance between experimentation and operationalisation; a balance that iteratively produces an increasingly automated environment. An automatically deployable solution can help you benefit from frequent and clear experimentation, effective tests, and a painless GO-LIVE.

Proper training and monitoring

Building an enterprise data solution shouldnt end with its rollout. Current BI solutions are enabling citizen development to bring data closer to the business, however, at the same time, this can cause the uncontrolled growth of unsupported reporting solutions.

Therefore, before empowering users to build their own dashboards, its essential to conduct training, which will focus on presenting the BI tools possibilities and the risks associated with incorrect usage. Nonetheless, even once users are trained, its still best to monitor their activity.

Providers will often give you a package of reports called BI on BI. The provided reports cover such aspects as user behaviour monitoring, the usage of reports, traffic on data sources, etc. Such active and close cooperation between business stakeholders and IT is crucial to ensure that your data system remains stable over the course of time.

Data in the cloud

Many companies are deciding to move their data hubs to the cloud. Data volumes are growing, more and more data sources are being made available, and on-premise data centres are becoming a bottleneck. Servers have become too slow to process real-time data, disk spaces are insufficient, and ordering new hardware takes months. The alternative is to leverage data services on the cloud.

Of course, migrating to the cloud is rarely just a matter of applying the Lift and Shift approach to your existing data solutions. Doing so requires a deep understanding of available architectures and services, a prepared migration strategy, and the possibility to forecast expected costs. As data normally comprises of crucial information concerning customers, strategies, financial results, etc., its utmost security becomes a priority. Fortunately, cloud services follow the best security standards, which include data encryption, row level security, geo-replication, automatic retention, and private networks.

A well-prepared and executed cloud migration, fully supported by test and data migration automation tools will result in a fit-for-purpose data solution. Such a solution will be prepared for both usage and data flow peaks and will have a lower total cost of ownership.

However, not every tool makes sense everywhere and every time this, of course, depends on the solution you need. For instance, setting up a CI/CD process for a single report that will only be used for a few weeks would be an overkill. Therefore, we recommend adapting the technologies being used to the projects scale and requirements.

People

Leading BI tools put strong emphasis on citizen development. Although their learning curve is not steep, they provide comprehensive tools for data management, data preparation, and modelling.

However, when many individuals within an organisation use self-developed dashboards and reports, maintaining optimal governance and quality can be challenging. Therefore, its crucial to have experienced business stakeholders with analytical skills, who are proficient at using a particular BI tool (but who can also count on the support of the IT department, if needed).

The right rollout of a BI solution usually includes citizen development training, but it should also include a set of rules concerning data governance and how to cooperate with IT. Choosing where data will be processed and who will be responsible for data modelling will be a case-by-case decision, however these issues have to be thought through at the beginning of the process. Doing so at the start of a project will help you prevent your BI tool from becoming cluttered and non-functional.

Data can be one of your most precious assets, therefore, it should always be processed and presented in line with the highest standards of quality.

Applying a DataOps approach to your processes, tools, and employee competences can help you to achieve those standards.

Moreover, with DataOps, youll gain access to crucial information quickly and efficiently, allowing you to use your data right when you need it, and before it becomes outdated.

If youd like to find out more about how data can help you transform your organisation, download Objectivitys latest complimentary eBook: How to Build a Data-Driven Organisation.

Editors note: This article is brought to you by Objectivity.

Photo byMarc Sendra MartorellonUnsplash

Link:
A guide to DataOps: Enabling the true speed of your data - Cloud Tech

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "5G and Edge Computing - Cloud Workloads Shifting to the Edge, Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The term 'Edge Computing' refers to computing that pushes intelligence, data processing, analytics, and communication capabilities down to where the data originates, that is, at network gateways or directly at endpoints. The aim is to reduce latency, ensure highly efficient networks and operations, as well as service delivery and improved user experience.

By extending computing closer to the data source, edge computing enables latency-sensitive computing, offers greater business agility through better control and faster insights, lowers operating expenses, and results in more efficient network bandwidth support.

Key characteristics of edge computing include:

There have been 3 major computing revolutions in industrial applications - mainframe, client server, and cloud computing. Taking up where these paradigms left off, edge computing is establishing itself as a foundational technology for industrial enterprises with its shorter latencies, robust security, responsive data collection, and lower costs. It is extremely relevant in the current hyper-connected industrial environment, as its solution-agnostic nature enables its use across a range of applications, including autonomous assets, remote asset monitoring, data extraction from stranded assets, autonomous robotics, autonomous vehicles, smart factories, oilfield operations management, machine monitoring and smart campuses.

The multi-access edge computing (MEC) market is still at a nascent stage, with telecom operators and cloud providers conducting trials and, in certain cases, agreements to launch commercial offerings. The recent launch of 5G technology with much lower latency and higher capacity, coupled with MEC, brings computing power closer to customers, driving new applications and experiences. Operators are now deploying smaller data centers in the network edge, closer to customers, optimizing applications performance. However, telecom operators cannot implement and manage MEC alone. They must establish partnerships and an application ecosystem to seize this growth opportunity. Thus, operators are partnering with cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud to improve the performance of existing mission-critical applications and enable new applications over wireless networks.

This market influences growth opportunities in a variety of areas, for both consumer and enterprise use cases, where the low-latency requirements for connectivity are essential for applications and user experience. For consumers, there are innovative applications such as 5G gaming and augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and ultra-high-definition (UDH) streaming. For enterprises, telecom operators are deploying private wireless networks to enable Manufacturing 4.0, automated mining, precision agriculture, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and other compelling use cases. The analyst anticipates that approximately 90% of industrial enterprises will utilize edge computing by 2022, and a majority of the data will be processed in the edge even before 5G coverage reaches higher levels and use cases mature. The geographic coverage of this MEC study is global, and the study period is from 2019 to 2024.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis

3. Competitive Profiles of Telcos

4. Competitive Profiles of Cloud Providers and Tech Companies

5. Growth Opportunity Universe

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3r8g7b

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Global 5G and Edge Computing Market to 2024 - Cloud Workloads Shifting to the Edge - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

Corey Quinn, cloud economist at The Duckbill Group, recently argued that multi-cloud is "the worst practice to be avoided by default". Not everyone agrees.

The author of the Last Week in AWS newsletter defines multi-cloud as running the same workload across multiple cloud providers in an agnostic way. He suggests that the approach is promoted by smaller cloud providers that cannot have a significant market share and third-party vendors that build tools for multiple cloud providers. The key issue of multi-cloud approaches is the lowest common denominator:

If you treat all of those environments as being the same thing, that means that every additional service that is any higher-order than those baseline primitive offerings is closed to you.

Multi-cloud can as well limit negotiating leverage for enterprises and he explains that the cost of managing multiple providers is often underestimated:

Before you go whole hog into a second cloud provider, first spin up an active-active environment across two regions in your current provider. With complete service and API compatibility between those regions, it should, by your theory, be a piece of cake. Come back and talk to me after you have done that, and we will see how "simple and straightforward" this really is.

Not everyone agrees with Corey Quinn's analysis. According to the 2020 State of the Cloud Report published by Flexera, most companies embrace multi-cloud, with 93 percent of enterprises having a multi-cloud strategy.

Debanjan Saha, general manager of data analytics at Google Cloud, and Eyal Manor, vice president of engineering and product at Google Cloud, recently explained why a multi-cloud approach is the future:

We are seeing so many benefits in how people use information, with more to come, as multi-cloud computing moves from a better way to access data to a platform for using information better. All these multi-cloud capabilities are designed to offer customers flexibility and choice to run their applications in the most efficient manner (...) giving customers maximum access and decision-making power to their most valuable technology asset: their data.

They explain that the definition of multi-cloud itself is open to debate:

The term multi-cloud can mean different things to different users and customers. For some customers, multi-cloud refers to leveraging multiple public cloud technologies at once, others refer to it as using public cloud in parallel with traditional non-cloud systems, and still others mean using multiple public clouds simultaneously for different workloads.

Another common reason to embrace multi-cloud is to avoid lock-in to a single vendor. Open source advocate Peter Zaitsev writes that "the new reality is a technology universe where firms have a more distributed approach".

Corey Quinn acknowledges the lock-in issue but concludes that skills in the engineering team are more important than differences in APIs, and companies do not want to hire generalists:

What happens when you announce a global migration from AWS to Oracle Cloud? Well, to start, at least a third of your engineering staff will quit to go work down the road with their existing skill sets on a platform that other companies are using more deeply.

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Multi-Cloud: Worst Practice or the Future of Public Cloud? - InfoQ.com