Hybrid Cloud Storage Has Hit Its Stride: What IT Leaders Need to Know

As enterprises modernize their infrastructure, one thing is clear: hybrid cloud storage is now a strategic necessity, not just a transitional model.

According to the new Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for Storage Technologies (July 2025) report, hybrid cloud storage merges on-premises, edge and cloud storage services, allowing organizations to manage data across different locations. This offers flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness across multiple environments, facilitating seamless data movement, improved management, and collaboration. Supporting file, block, and object storage, it provides tools for life cycle management, synchronization, and disaster recovery, ensuring data accessibility, protection, and resilience. If your organization is asking how to optimize storage and infrastructure across on-prem and cloud environments, this report offers timely insights.

Here are our three key takeaways that highlight why it’s never too late to reassess and iterate on your organization’s storage strategy.

We believe Wasabi is uniquely positioned as an essential ingredient of your cloud storage modernization journey.

1. Object storage is emerging as the hybrid foundation

The report recommends selecting object storage vendors offering a wide choice of deployment (software-only versus packaged appliances versus managed hosting) and licensing models (perpetual versus subscription) that can provide flexibility and reduce total cost of ownership. Across the board, enterprises find themselves managing more unstructured data across diverse environments. Object storage provides the scalability, accessibility, and durability needed to store mass quantities of data and keep it accessible via standardized protocols for both cloud and on-prem systems.

Why it matters:

The Wasabi cloud is 100% object-based and S3-compatible, which makes it purpose-fit for hybrid environments. The vast majority of modern apps and platforms support S3 APIs; whether you’re backing up data, archiving media, or storing surveillance footage, Wasabi supports rapid access and long-term retention without complexity, using formats your applications and storage administrators are already familiar with.

2. Cost transparency is a strategic priority

One of the most urgent concerns among IT leaders is unpredictable cloud costs—especially when moving data between environments. Gartner® notes “cost-efficiency is another key driver, with DHI solutions often utilizing consumption-based pricing models that charge customers based on actual use, optimizing IT spend and reducing unnecessary expenditures.”

Why it matters: 

Wasabi eliminates hidden costs by not charging for data access, egress, or other API fees. That predictability is especially important for hybrid architectures, where data is often retrieved and downloaded frequently or replicated across multiple locations. With us, you pay for the storage capacity you use, and nothing more.  

3. Enterprises need storage designed for flexibility

The Hype Cycle™ for Storage Technologies points out that “HCFDS are expanding from being providers of global data access to providers of platform services, such as data insights, cyber resilience, life cycle management and data mobility across public cloud and on-premises deployments.

Why it matters:

Wasabi partners with leading backup, archive, and media workflow platforms, enabling organizations to deploy hybrid storage without overhauling your tech stack. From disaster recovery to content distribution, we make it easy to support hybrid strategies that evolve with your business.

In addition, Wasabi also provides users with native tools and platforms needed to manage and distribute storage in increasingly complex environments.

• Need a platform that can be white labeled for your end users?

• Need to act as a cloud storage distributor for multiple business units within your organization?

• Need to manage a complex, multi-account storage environment and access to resources?

Wasabi Account Control Manager allows users to perform these tasks at no additional cost

Whether you’re a CIO planning for the future or an IT admin managing storage today, Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for Storage Technologies offers a strategic lens on where hybrid cloud storage is going—and what to look for in a provider.

Putting Wasabi in your hybrid storage environment makes sense in every aspect: simplicity, scalability, and cost control.

Download your complimentary copy of the Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for Storage Technologies today. 

Gartner, Hype Cycle for Storage Technologies, 2025, By Julia Palmer, 19 June 2025

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