Which type of computing environment connects an organization's on-premises private cloud and a third-party public cloud?

The type of computing environment that connects an organization's on-premises private cloud and a third-party public cloud is a hybrid cloud. A hybrid cloud combines both private and public cloud infrastructures, allowing for data and applications to be shared between them. This setup enables organizations to utilize the security and control of their private cloud while taking advantage of the scalability and cost-effectiveness of public cloud services.

In the context of IBM Cloud solutions, hybrid cloud is particularly valuable because it allows organizations to maintain sensitive data and workloads on their private cloud while leveraging public cloud resources for flexibility and additional capacity as needed. This blend facilitates a more dynamic IT environment that can quickly respond to changing business demands and promotes innovation.

The other options do not accurately capture the nature of connecting both types of clouds. Virtual environments generally refer to the use of virtualization technology, which can exist within either public or private settings but does not inherently involve a combination of both clouds. Public cloud specifically denotes resources offered over the internet to multiple clients without direct control over the infrastructure, whereas dedicated typically implies a single-tenant environment, often related to dedicated hosting, which is not a hybrid solution. Thus, hybrid is the precise term for the integration of these two clouds.