Blog | nearby computing

Once telcos accept that multi-cloud is here to stay, a new challenge quickly emerges:
how to move workloads and applications across environments without breaking operations.

Because in practice, workload mobility is where most multi-cloud strategies fail.

Not due to lack of technology — but due to how tightly workloads become coupled to the platform they run on.

Workload mobility is not just about moving compute

Migrating a workload is often perceived as a technical exercise:

R  Move a VM.

R  Redeploy a container.

R  Spin it up somewhere else.

In reality, workloads are deeply entangled with:

R  Networking and connectivity models.

R  Security policies and certificates.

R  Platform-specific automation.

R  Day-2 operational processes.

As a result, moving a workload usually means rebuilding everything around it.

This is why many migrations stall, slow down, or end up creating a new form of dependency — just in a different environment.

The hidden cost of platform-centric migrations

Many telcos still operate with a platform-first mindset:

R Workloads are designed for a specific cloud.

R Automation is written against platform APIs.

R Networking and security are customised per environment.

This approach works — until change is required.

Whether the trigger is cost pressure, regulation, latency, or strategic flexibility, the result is the same:

R Migration projects become long and risky.

R OPEX increases instead of decreasing.

R Teams hesitate to move workloads once deployed.

At that point, the cloud choice becomes effectively irreversible.

Why “lift and shift” rarely delivers long-term freedom

Lift-and-shift migrations are often chosen as a fast exit strategy:

R Minimal changes.

R Familiar tools.

R Short timelines.

But without a unified operational layer, they usually result in:

R “Lift and forget” workloads.

R Higher long-term costs.

R Limited ability to evolve or relocate applications later.

The workload may have moved — but the dependency has not.

The alternative: decoupling workloads from platforms

True workload mobility requires a different approach.

Instead of tying applications to a specific cloud or infrastructure stack, telcos need to:

R Describe workloads declaratively, independent of where they run.

R Define policies for placement, connectivity and lifecycle.

R Apply the same operational model across environments.

In other words, workloads should be portable by design — not by exception.

Orchestrating workloads and applications across multi-cloud

This is where orchestration becomes critical.

To manage workloads across multi-cloud and edge environments at scale, telcos need an orchestration layer that:

R Treats applications as first-class entities.

R Manages dependencies across infrastructure, network and application layers.

R Enforces consistent lifecycle management wherever workloads are deployed.

Without this, workload mobility remains a one-off project rather than a sustainable capability.

How NearbyOne and Glide enable real workload mobility

This is exactly the problem NearbyOne addresses, with Glide as a key module.

Glide is not a migration tool.
It is a cross-domain orchestration and connectivity layer that enables workloads and applications to move across environments without changing how they are operated.

As part of the NearbyOne platform, Glide allows telcos to:

R Define workloads and applications declaratively, decoupled from the underlying infrastructure.

R Orchestrate application placement across on-prem, public cloud and edge based on policies such as latency, cost, compliance or locality.

R Provide consistent connectivity and security for workloads, regardless of where they run.

R Apply a single Day-0 to Day-2 lifecycle model, avoiding platform-specific operational silos.

R Integrate existing environments — including legacy platforms — as first-class citizens, without forcing disruptive migrations.

R Move workloads when business conditions change, without redesigning networking, automation or operations.

The result is not just easier migration.
It is freedom of choice over time.

From migration projects to operational capability

The most important shift is conceptual.

Workload mobility should not be treated as a one-off transformation project.
It should be an embedded operational capability.

With NearbyOne and Glide, telcos can:

R Deploy workloads where it makes sense today.

R Change that decision tomorrow.

R Do so repeatedly, safely and at scale.

Without replatforming every time.
Without rebuilding operations.
Without creating a new lock-in.

That is what multi-cloud was supposed to deliver in the first place.
And that is exactly what NearbyOne and Glide make possible.