Hybrid Cloud Storage Adoption Soars — Inside Nasuni’s Latest Research

The momentum has been building for years, and according to our latest industry research, hybrid cloud is now the norm. Driven by the need for enhanced security, improved performance, and flexible scale, enterprises have moved beyond traditional storage models. More than three-quarters of the firms we surveyed either have a hybrid cloud storage model in place or are planning to implement one this year. They’re adopting flexible, scalable hybrid solutions that combine the scale of the cloud with the performance of the edge.

Our The Era of Hybrid Cloud Storage 2025 report is based on responses from 1,000 purchasing decision makers in the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These IT leaders operate within organizations of at least 1,000 employees. Generally, they see hybrid cloud storage as a foundation for data-driven innovation, cybersecurity resilience, and AI readiness.

What is hybrid cloud storage?

A hybrid cloud storage model is one that blends the scale and reach of cloud-based object storage with the fast access that enterprises and their end users have come to expect from a storage solution. With hybrid cloud storage, though, performance comes without the traditional hardware infrastructure. Through intelligent file caching at the edge, integrated data security, and cloud scale, a hybrid storage solution provides local performance, unlimited capacity, and a whole new set of benefits in a single, unified platform.

Industry adoption of cloud or hybrid cloud infrastructure is widespread, but slightly uneven:

• 96% of financial services firms
• 89% of manufacturing, media & advertising, and AEC firms
• 80% of energy, oil, and gas firms

The healthcare and life sciences, public sector, and retail verticals fall within that same range. These findings back up what we’re seeing at Nasuni. We’re bringing on more of the leading financial services and investment firms, and interest in our platform from the energy industry is accelerating. The reason for the slightly lower adoption rate today may be that digital transformation is harder in this industry. Facilities are geographically dispersed. There’s often a mix of storage and data protection infrastructure because acquisitions are common, so firms inherit different infrastructure. The needs are diverse, too. A company might require file services at offshore rigs, remote offices, and corporate headquarters.

This complexity makes the transition to hybrid cloud seem daunting, but we’ve migrated enough large energy providers over to Nasuni to know that the switch makes an enormous difference in terms of cost savings, workflow efficiencies, cyber resilience, and more.

Why is cloud the infrastructure of choice?

Our results point to four main drivers behind the larger cloud infrastructure movement:

• 45% cite improving data security and business resilience
• 44% point to business efficiency through streamlined processes
• 35% are embracing cloud as part of their AI strategy
• 33% support cloud as a means of improving customer experience

As for hybrid cloud in particular, this novel approach to storing, sharing, and protecting data initially gained traction because it offered unified scale, lower costs, enhanced cyber resilience, and the potential for global file synchronization. Together, these benefits were more than enough to shift the storage world away from traditional infrastructure.

Now we’re seeing the transition to hybrid cloud storage accelerate in the age of enterprise AI. Why is that? We’ll explore the link between AI and hybrid cloud storage in an upcoming post.

In the meantime, download a copy of The Era of Hybrid Cloud Storage to learn more.