Multi-cloud strategy for enterprise applications: Cost, performance, and resilience considerations
Okorie Samuel Hope · International Journal of Cloud Computing and Database Management · 2023
As enterprises evolve toward digital-first operations, cloud computing has become a foundational enabler of agility, scalability, and innovation. Increasingly, organizations are adopting multi-cloud strategies, leveraging services from two or more cloud providers, to optimize cost, enhance application performance, ensure regulatory compliance, and bolster system resilience. This review explores the emerging rationale, architectural patterns, operational complexities, and strategic trade-offs inherent in multi-cloud deployments for enterprise applications. Drawing on insights from cloud architecture, IT governance, service level agreements (SLAs), and case studies from global enterprises, the paper critically evaluates how multi-cloud adoption reshapes cost structures, risk mitigation, vendor negotiation leverage, and service continuity. It examines performance optimization challenges across heterogeneous environments, discusses workload distribution strategies, and highlights security and data governance implications. Furthermore, the review identifies key barriers to effective multi-cloud adoption, including inter-cloud interoperability, cost visibility, skill gaps, and platform integration, while proposing frameworks for optimizing workload placement, monitoring tools, and policy standardization. The paper concludes by offering actionable recommendations for enterprise architects, CIOs, and policymakers seeking to align multi-cloud strategies with long-term digital transformation goals. Through a holistic and critical synthesis of existing literature and industry practices, this study positions multi-cloud strategy not just as a technology trend but as a strategic paradigm shift in enterprise IT management.