Optimizing Hybrid IT Environments with Integrated Automation Solutions
The future of hybrid IT belongs to organizations that can adapt quickly and optimize continuously.
Hybrid IT environments — where SaaS, cloud-hosted apps, enterprise systems, and cloud-native services coexist — are now the standard. This shift empowers organizations to innovate faster, scale seamlessly, and enhance agility. As businesses increasingly adopt these hybrid IT models, the challenge lies in optimizing deployments across diverse environments while ensuring smooth operations through automation.
At Stonebranch, we’ve closely monitored the evolution of hybrid IT. Over the years, we’ve conducted the Global State of IT Automation survey to understand where enterprises stand with automation and orchestration in these complex ecosystems. In our latest research, we saw a remarkable jump in the number of organizations operating in a hybrid IT environment — from 34% in 2022 to 68% in 2024. This growth is a clear signal that hybrid IT is not just a trend but the dominant operating model moving forward.
With hybrid IT becoming well-established, organizations are learning that optimization goes beyond simply deploying applications and workloads in the cloud. In many cases, workloads initially launched in the cloud for agility and scalability are now moving back on-premises to achieve long-term efficiency. This shift highlights the importance of having integrated automation solutions that enable organizations to move workloads seamlessly across environments, based on business needs, cost optimization, or compliance requirements.
Flexibility is Key in Hybrid IT
A major strength of hybrid IT is its flexibility. Many enterprises choose to develop and launch new applications in the cloud because it provides rapid deployment, elasticity, and a pay-as-you-go model. However, as the usage of these applications grows, businesses often find it more cost-effective to migrate these workloads back to dedicated on-premises infrastructure. This approach allows organizations to optimize resources, control costs, and better manage performance at scale.
Automation tools need to support this kind of flexibility and interoperability. Whether an application moves to or from the cloud, orchestration tools like Stonebranch Universal Automation Center (UAC) ensure that workflows run smoothly regardless of where they reside. UAC makes it easy to manage complex environments by integrating cloud, on-prem, or hybrid workloads into a single, unified automation platform.
Supporting Modern Architectures
Over the past 25 years, IT infrastructure has transformed dramatically from physical servers to virtualized environments, containers, and serverless computing. When containers are part of the equation, automation becomes even more critical. Automation platforms must support container orchestration at scale to help organizations unlock the full potential of technologies.
This is precisely where Stonebranch excels. UAC seamlessly integrates with container technologies like Kubernetes and OpenShift. Containerized workloads offer enhanced portability, making it easier for enterprises to shift them across environments as needed. The ability to move workloads dynamically ensures that organizations can optimize their hybrid IT deployments based on emerging priorities and evolving business demands.
Automation Drives Hybrid IT Optimization
The growth of hybrid IT environments is driving a parallel increase in automation investments. In the 2024 Global State of IT Automation survey, 86% of respondents indicated plans to expand their automation initiatives. This investment isn’t limited to enterprise-wide automation. It also extends to department-level and team-level efforts, highlighting a shift towards democratized automation — where business units and technical teams alike harness automation to drive efficiency and innovation.
Integrated automation plays a central role in making hybrid IT environments more manageable and sustainable. It allows businesses to respond quickly to changes, streamline operations, and maintain control over complex workloads. Automation also helps eliminate bottlenecks by enabling self-service capabilities, empowering non-technical users to execute workflows without IT intervention. This democratization of automation accelerates innovation across the entire organization.
Enabling Continuous Optimization with UAC
At Stonebranch, we believe that automation is the backbone of hybrid IT optimization. UAC provides organizations with the tools they need to orchestrate complex workflows across multiple environments, integrating with any blended technology stack they choose. As businesses move workloads between cloud and on-premises environments to optimize performance and costs, UAC ensures seamless operations with automation workflows that adapt in real-time.
One of the key benefits of UAC is its ability to break down silos between IT systems and teams. It centrally orchestrates end-to-end processes regardless of the departments or technologies the workflow may span. UAC helps organizations future-proof their automation strategies while remaining agile in the face of evolving IT landscapes.
The Road Ahead for Hybrid IT and Automation
As hybrid IT continues to grow, so too will the need for advanced automation solutions. Organizations must be prepared to navigate a landscape where applications and workloads are distributed across multiple environments. Success in this space requires not only the ability to move workloads fluidly but also the capability to automate processes end-to-end.
At Stonebranch, our focus remains on empowering enterprises to optimize their hybrid IT environments with integrated automation. With UAC, businesses gain the flexibility to orchestrate workflows across any infrastructure — whether in the cloud, on-premises, or in containers — ensuring they are always operating at peak efficiency.
The future of hybrid IT belongs to organizations that can adapt quickly and optimize continuously. By investing in automation, businesses not only streamline operations but also unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth. At Stonebranch, we’re excited to partner with our customers on this journey, helping them navigate the complexities of hybrid IT with confidence and agility.
Hybrid IT isn’t just a destination — it’s an ongoing process of optimization. And with the right automation solutions in place, the possibilities are endless.
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