The Multi-Cloud Mirage and Fake Agnosticism

Published: 4/11/2026

Many consultancies brand themselves as "multi-cloud" or "cloud agnostic" while, in practice, steering clients predominantly toward a single hyperscaler that aligns with their certifications, incentives, and sales relationships. This report explores why this disconnect exists, how partner economics quietly nudge supposedly neutral advisors toward a preferred cloud, and how customers can detect and counter "fake agnosticism" when buying cloud consulting services.

Multi-cloud has become the dominant marketing narrative in enterprise IT, with surveys showing that around 80–90% of organisations report using more than one cloud provider in some form. In parallel, many consultancies brand themselves as "multi-cloud" or "cloud agnostic" while, in practice, steering clients predominantly toward a single hyperscaler that aligns with their certifications, incentives, and sales relationships.This report explores why this disconnect exists, how partner economics qu...