The world of cloud computing is in a state of flux. Not long ago, the cloud was considered an emerging technology, known only to IT specialists. Today it is a part of everyday life – 96% of businesses use the cloud in one form or another, and this number only looks set to grow. Whether you are one of the few that hasn’t embraced the technology, or you are keen to keep up with the times, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends for cloud computing solutions.
So, with 2020 approaching and IT looking to make important decisions on utilizing budgets, we take a look at seven key trends that look to shape the future of cloud computing solutions. These could have a profound effect — not only on organizations’ computer systems and websites but also on running their whole operation.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Increased storage capacity
- Impact on SEO
- The Internet of Everything
- Increased security
- The rise of serverless technology
- Microservices
- Hybrid or multi-cloud strategies
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1. Increased storage capacity
One of the major aspects of the future of cloud computing is the need for increased storage capacity — and how providers will offer this capacity to businesses and private users. This is due to the fact that many businesses are choosing the cloud as their only IT solution, meaning all of their data is stored on the cloud.
And given the amounts of data that is needed to be stored — due to everything from compliance with data regulations, to the increasing needs to cybersecurity software — the amount of storage is set to become colossal. In fact, Cisco estimates that by 2021, data center storage capacity will have grown nearly four-fold from 2016.
Companies are increasingly making the switch from on-premises servers to cloud computing solutions. And just at the same time, data storage needs are rising exponentially.
2. Impact on SEO
Cloud computing is having an increasing impact on the world of search engine optimization (SEO). Given the importance of SEO to virtually every business (read: virtually every business full stop) with a website, this trend can only grow in 2020 and beyond. Cloud web hosting offers numerous advantages, and more businesses are beginning to realize this.
One of the most crucial elements of modern SEO is page loading speed. There are many things that webmasters can do to improve loading speed, but ultimately it comes down to your web hosting. Websites need powerful hosting services, and this is something that cloud solutions providers will increasingly need to offer.
Website security is another area that is increasingly having an impact on a variety of areas in SEO. Cloud providers, then, will need to be offering hosting services that offer comprehensive protection for users.
3. The Internet of Everything (IoE)
We are increasingly familiar with the term Internet of Things, or IoT, but the continuous evolution of real-time data and analytics has led to the coining of a new buzzword that you need to take note of: The Internet of Everything (IoE). Functionally, this is the idea that almost all electronic devices and services will have access to the internet and will use it to learn and improve.
Cloud computing will, of course, have a major role to play in the development of IoE, as it relies enormously on machine-to-machine communication. IoE devices will inevitably use cloud solutions in order to be able to communicate data and processes.
As more business devices will need access to connected data, it will be important to have an all-encompassing cloud solution that can provide full access to a full range of devices — not just computers and tablets.
4. Increased security
Cybersecurity is becoming a crucial part of all forms of internet use – you only need to look at the many examples of hackers hitting the headlines, such as the WannaCry Ransomware attack and many others, to see that. But for cloud services providers, there is a growing need to offer advanced security in order to keep businesses secure.
At this point, there is still some level of confusion over the responsibilities for both the provider of the cloud services and the end-user, as to who deals with security issues. From the provider’s perspective, it will be important to continue to clarify which areas of cybersecurity they are responsible for and which areas must be managed by the user.
Indeed, it will be up to providers of solutions to offer the strongest possible cybersecurity measures in order to keep clients as safe as possible. This includes not only preventative measures but also proactive threat detection.
5. The rise of serverless technology
Of course, there are many advantages to using cloud technology such as the spinning of extra resources and the flexible pay-for-use consumption model. However, it is still true that provisioning servers is highly time-consuming. In this type of model, the measuring unit is known as an “instance,” but with serverless technology, the measuring unit is even smaller than that and is known as “functions.”
A function is a piece of code that runs automatically, and it is quite easy to get started with them, as there are many language options, and little in the way of configuration management necessary. Additionally, the managing and scaling of resources are entirely managed by serverless providers.
Serverless technology looks set to go from a relatively specialist and niche option to something that is mainstream. Naturally, the onus is on serverless providers to ensure they stay relevant, but the adoption of these technologies is undoubtedly accelerating.
6. Microservices
There has been a shift in cloud architecture. While in the past, we have seen closed applications with only human user interfaces, but now we are seeing the growth of more open services. Additionally, this has opened the door for application programming interfaces (APIs) of other software applications to interact with your applications – they can then make use of combined capabilities for whole new solutions.
The use of APIs and microservices-based architecture have undoubtedly inspired innovation. And the advantages of using cloud-based APIs have changed how core applications are designed and built in the first place.
7. Hybrid or multi-cloud strategies
We should also expect to see a growing number of organizations adopting multi-cloud and hybrid strategies, as these become increasingly mainstream. These strategies have often come about due to frustration from companies that committed to an individual cloud provider based on promises that went unfulfilled – they then found themselves locked into contracts.
By 2021, 98% of companies plan to use multiple hybrid clouds – this shows that if your current strategies utilize a single cloud solution, it may be time to look into alternative options.
As services become increasingly specialized, with differing requires to get the most out of specific applications or functions, businesses will require multi-cloud solutions in order to run efficiently and effectively.
Final thoughts…
The cloud is set to become indispensable to businesses – and the needs of cloud computing solutions grow increasingly complex. We can expect to see providers offer a broader range of solutions to customers, which could mean a need to consult with specialists in order to establish which could be right for your business.
In 2020, these trends will be impacting businesses across the world, and it is important for organizations to keep up-to-date with their requirements so that they can adjust their cloud architecture as necessary.
