Most businesses have already adopted cloud computing as part of their IT system, or are at least in the process of hiring cloud application integration experts in London to introduce it to their company. While this will stand them in good stead with their enterprise next year, it is also worth considering the updates and upcoming trends within the cloud computing world, and how the advancing technology could businesses develop in 2020.
– Cloud computing sector to grow
First things first, the popularity of, and demand for, cloud computing services is not set to decline next year, with more and more companies investing in the technology to improve their business and streamline their IT processes.
Indeed, according to ZDNet, the public cloud market, which includes cloud applications (SaaS), development and data platforms (PaaS), and infrastructure (IaaS) services, is expected to increase to $299.4 billion (£228.72 billion) in 2020.
This is partly due to more than half (65 per cent) of firms in North America relying on these platforms for their businesses, with 66 per cent running internal private clouds.
Even if the market growth slows down in comparison with previous years, the industry is well on its way to reaching half a trillion dollars in a few years’ time. As a result of this, it is not surprising it will continue to develop and mature, improving its effectiveness and efficiency for users.
– Fast-paced developments
In fact, changes are likely to occur so quickly, it makes it difficult for experts to anticipate what the technology will be offering customers in 12 months’ time.
An article in CRN said: “Developments in the cloud computing industry move at a pace that can be maddening to follow and impossible to predict.”
It was just a few years ago that the term ‘cloud clouting’ was created, with large companies such as Google and Amazon beginning to acknowledge the growing demand for people and businesses to access data, files, software and power over the internet wherever they are in the world.
In the last 13 years, the industry has soared, with Forbes revealing 77 per cent of businesses have at least one application in the cloud, and invested an average of $3.5 million on cloud apps, platforms, and services in 2018. Indeed, nearly a third (30 per cent) of all IT budgets were assigned to cloud computing last year, with more and more companies realising the importance and potential of cloud computing for their enterprises.
As a result of this, the technology has to continually improve and develop to keep up with increasing demands from customers who want more and more from their cloud services.
– Omni-cloud
One of the developments that will occur next year, according to CRN, is the switch to omni-cloud. This differs from multi-cloud services, which became a big trend in 2019, with companies distributing workloads across multiple IaaS providers.
While this has become a popular move, 2020 will see a change in strategy, and multi-cloud services might develop into omni-cloud ones over the next year.
This is down to the fact that over time “applications become even more portable, compute cycles easier to procure in real time, data integration platforms streamline connectivity, and vendors form cross-platform alliances”.
The news provider suggested omni-cloud services might be most applicable for larger businesses that want to take advantage of the differentiated benefits and deals without locking themselves into one provider.
It used the example of US media, information and services company The Hearst Corporation, which spreads its 360 businesses across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
– Cloud security tools
Another improvement cloud computing will offer customers in the next year is being able to provide security tools.
Enterprises increasingly want security from the provider itself, instead of having to look for third-party solutions. Not only is this a matter of convenience, but having platform-native security tools means they could be more effective and successful at keeping their system safe from cyber attacks.
For this reason, security acquisitions have grown in popularity over the last year, particularly as businesses become more conscious about online crime and cyber breaches, and savvy at trying to prevent them.
ZDNet stated: “The hyperscale cloud leaders will ramp up investment in their native security offerings, while cross-cloud management providers must buy, build, and/or acquire security capabilities that go beyond past identity and access management.”
It noted that VMware acquired Carbon Black this year in an attempt to add security through its cloud systems and products.
– The emergence of intelligence SaaS
Next year will see important changes in SaaS, with improvements being implemented to make the technology more intelligent and responsive.
CRN stated that every SaaS, IT Ops, analytics and BI product is being improved with machine learning, offering customers some useful benefits. Indeed, the AI function of cloud software could provide automation, insight, and predictive analytics, all of which are appealing for growing and already established companies.
It went on to say: “Some machine-learning based features are genuinely useful; others just capitalise off the buzz word. But by next year, it will be hard to find a product that’s not billed as intelligent.”
Whatever happens in the cloud computing world in 2020 remains to be seen. These predictions might turn into reality, or other advancements could occur for cloud-based software that experts have not even anticipated yet.
Something that is noticeable, however, is that the technology is not going anywhere anytime soon, with uptake in cloud software steadily increasing all the time. In fact, Forbes reported that nearly all (95 per cent) organisations would end up relying on SaaS for application delivery within the next few months, while 83 per cent will utilise IaaS and 73 per cent will make the most of PaaS too.
The article stated: “This completely changes the level of communication and collaboration within enterprises and underscores how critical it is to recruit and retain the best cloud talent possible.”
Indeed, whichever technological developments take place within the industry, it is clear to see the relevance and importance cloud computing will have on businesses in 2020 and beyond.
