Page 13 - Red Hat PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2025

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For Chief Information Of�icers (CIOs) and IT leaders, this marks a turning point. For the �irst
time, they have a genuine choice – the ability to align infrastructure decisions not just with
technical requirements, but also with strategic priorities like data sovereignty, compliance,
commercial offers, and service needs. Hybrid cloud, once viewed as a hypothetical, future-
state aspiration, has become a practical and increasingly popular model.

Key Drivers of This Shift
One of the major drivers of hybrid cloud adoption in the region is cost ef�iciency. The
economics of traditional data centers are becoming less viable. Between hardware
investment, cooling, staf�ing, and security, the costs are stacking up, especially as businesses
scale. The second factor is speed to market. In a post-COVID world, speed to market is no
longer a competitive advantage but a necessity. Organizations need to launch, iterate, and
scale digital services without the bottlenecks of traditional IT infrastructure.

Security and compliance are also among the factors shaping cloud strategies. Industries
handling sensitive or classi�ied data must operate within strict guidelines. Public cloud
adoption for these sectors is not always straightforward, which is where sovereign clouds
play a critical role. Lastly, �lexibility is another important factor. Enterprises aim to avoid
being ‘locked in’ to a single vendor or architecture. They are looking for architectures that
support freedom of movement, shifting workloads across platforms based on changing
business needs.

The Hybrid Advantage
The hybrid cloud delivers a unique value proposition by balancing performance, cost,
compliance, and agility. Unlike pure public or private models, a hybrid cloud gives
organizations the freedom to optimize infrastructure without being constrained by a one-
size-�its-all approach. It also allows businesses to reduce their dependency on any single
provider. This model supports long-term resilience and strategic autonomy, enabling smarter
decisions as demands shift.

An open hybrid cloud approach takes this one step further, allowing for seamless movement
of applications and data across environments. This is not just about convenience; it’s about
building a resilient foundation that can adapt to the future.

Rise of Sovereign Cloud and Open Innovation
Over the next 12 to 24 months, we can expect both enterprise and public sector adoption of
hybrid cloud to accelerate. Sovereign platforms will be a key enabler in this growth. There is