Alternatives to Public Cloud Computing: IBM, Dell, and Nutanix Offer Solid Options

A common question I hear from enterprise IT leaders is whether there are viable alternatives to public cloud computing that can deliver similar benefits without the associated challenges. The public cloud has undoubtedly driven innovation and reshaped how businesses manage IT infrastructure, but it’s not the right fit for every organization or workload. Concerns around cost predictability, data control, compliance, and vendor lock-in have created a demand for more flexible solutions.

While public cloud providers remain a key part of the technology landscape, there is increasing recognition that hybrid environments, edge computing, and hyper-converged infrastructure can provide enterprises with some of the same advantages while mitigating their downsides.

Three companies—IBM, Dell Technologies, and Nutanix—offer meaningful alternatives. Their solutions take different approaches to providing enterprises with options that avoid an all-in commitment to the public cloud while addressing real operational challenges.

IBM: Building on Hybrid and Edge Computing

IBM has focused much of its strategy on hybrid cloud and edge computing, tailoring its offerings for organizations with strict governance or sector-specific requirements. A notable part of this approach is IBM Cloud Satellite, which allows businesses to deploy cloud services on-premises, at the edge, or wherever they are needed. This provides additional flexibility for enterprises that either cannot or prefer not to fully rely on public clouds.

Additionally, IBM’s use of Red Hat OpenShift, a Kubernetes-based platform for managing containerized workloads, provides enterprises with tools to build and deploy modern applications while distributing them across multiple environments. IBM’s hybrid offerings can appeal to organizations looking to modernize their IT stack while maintaining compliance and visibility into data. For companies with complex governance needs—such as those in the financial or healthcare sectors—this could be a good fit. However, businesses should evaluate whether IBM’s solutions meet their specific performance requirements and operational complexity.

While IBM’s focus on hybrid and edge computing is strong, the company’s cloud strategy has struggled in the past to compete with the scale of larger public cloud providers. Enterprises need to weigh IBM’s strong hybrid features against the company’s evolving overall cloud portfolio.

Dell Technologies: Hyperconverged Infrastructure and Hybrid Cloud

Dell Technologies has long promoted its hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solutions as an alternative to public cloud platforms. Its VxRail systems combine compute, storage, and networking into a single appliance, enabling businesses to modernize their data centers and deliver cloud-like scalability without relying exclusively on external providers. For enterprises seeking to simplify IT management, this kind of solution can reduce complexity and the operational overhead of managing siloed systems.

In addition to HCI, Dell’s VMware Cloud Foundation enables businesses to extend this private infrastructure into a hybrid model, incorporating public cloud resources if necessary. This approach gives organizations flexibility, particularly when workloads need to be broken across environments due to cost, performance, or compliance concerns.

While Dell’s systems are practical for enterprises investing in on-premises infrastructure, moving to a hybrid approach with Dell often requires a strong familiarity with VMware’s ecosystem and tooling for seamless integration. This might not be an issue for organizations already using VMware technologies, but it could pose a learning curve for others. For some workloads, Dell’s approach might not deliver the same elasticity as public cloud offerings, though the control it provides may outweigh this concern for businesses with localized requirements.

Nutanix: Simplifying Cloud-Like Management

Nutanix has built a strong case as a provider of hyperconverged and hybrid solutions. Its Enterprise Cloud Platform enables software-defined infrastructure, packaging compute, storage, and virtualization into one system to simplify private data center operations. Nutanix has positioned itself as an option for enterprises wanting public-cloud-style management with infrastructure they fully control on-premises.

Its hybrid capabilities extend further with Nutanix Clusters, allowing workloads to be shifted between on-premises systems and public cloud providers such as AWS or Microsoft Azure. This flexibility can be valuable for organizations with dynamic IT needs or workloads that can benefit from cloud scalability. Nutanix emphasizes ease of management, providing a single platform for controlling resources regardless of environment. However, this simplicity depends on how well Clusters integrates with an enterprise’s existing architecture, which can vary.

Nutanix is a solid option for organizations seeking alternatives to rigid public cloud models, but businesses need to conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis. Setting up hyperconverged or hybrid environments comes with upfront capital costs that are absent from pure-pay-as-you-go public cloud models. Enterprises also need to evaluate their existing skillsets and how much operational transformation might be required to fully adopt Nutanix technologies.

Balancing Cloud Strategies

IBM, Dell, and Nutanix represent three distinct approaches for enterprises looking to reduce their reliance on public cloud platforms. Of course, there are dozens more to consider from enterprise tech players. Each solution has strengths that align well with specific needs—such as maintaining regulatory compliance, consolidating workloads, or balancing hybrid architectures—but they are not without trade-offs.

One of the key advantages of alternatives like hybrid environments and hyperconverged infrastructure is control. Enterprises have more autonomy over their resources, which is particularly valuable for organizations with strict governance, predictable workloads, and highly regulated data. However, these approaches typically involve higher up-front investments and greater operational overhead compared to the instantly scalable models offered by public clouds.

Ultimately, choosing an alternative to public cloud depends on an organization’s workload requirements, compliance obligations, and long-term IT strategy. For some, the level of customization and control from solutions like those provided by IBM, Dell, and Nutanix will outweigh the simplicity and elasticity of public clouds. For others, a blended, hybrid approach may provide the best of both worlds, integrating private systems with public resources to meet diverse needs.

Rather than seeing the public cloud and its alternatives as oppositional, organizations should view them as complementary tools in their IT toolkit. Enterprises that take a balanced approach—one that leverages the strengths of each model while addressing their limitations—are most likely to position themselves for success in an increasingly complex technology landscape.

Again, and as always, your technology selection should be aligned with your specific requirements. Hire a good architect, please.

Some AI tools were used to edit this article.