Cloud usage is headed for big changes in 2017. Internet-based apps are rising in significance and popularity across the world. A study by Cisco shows that 83% of data center traffic will be cloud-based in the next few years. Companies are migrating to the cloud in a big way and this has boosted the business of cloud vendors. Studies show that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has cornered 31% of the cloud market, followed by Microsoft Azure at 9%, IBM at 7%, and Google Cloud Platform at 4%. In this article, we provide a glimpse of the cloud computing trends expected in 2017, our predictions for this growing market, and useful advice for companies looking to migrate to the cloud.
Cloud Computing Trends to Look Out for in 2017
Hybrid Clouds will Rise in Popularity
Hybrid clouds are widely used as companies focus on security. A recent RightScale survey shows that hybrid cloud usage rose from 58% to 71% in the past year. This trend is expected to continue through 2017.
Training is Vital
A lot of cloud users place importance on security, but the main concern seems to be not enough resources. As more organizations transfer their processes to the cloud, they need sufficiently trained personnel to deploy and maintain the new systems and architectures.
Cloud Architecture will Become Mainstream
Hyper-convergence and containerization have been growing in the past few years and this trend is likely to continue in 2017. The container architecture is getting more support as a result of which apps will be designed to offer more efficient and modern user experiences. Also, container-as-a-service apps are likely to become more popular as they will be more affordable and cheaper than conventional hardware virtualization.
Watch Out for Cloud Automation
Business-level cloud automation became widespread in 2016 driven by a complexity gap where it is becoming more complex to build and manage cloud infrastructure which is outgrowing the capacity of management services and software to control it. Experts predict that the popularity of the cloud will not depend on companies using low-level programming to automate their infrastructure. Rather, enterprises will focus on business-level automation where their cloud systems are managed by smart software that executes policies to support the business.
Focus will be on Security Challenges
Security experts opine that most companies are still using rudimentary security analysis architecture and they document host names, IP addresses, and physical locations for their security audits and assessments. They say that enterprises should stop regarding cloud systems as outsourced IT apps and embrace their dynamic nature. Organizations need to focus on implementing operating system, database, and network security. The cloud makes old tools ineffective and businesses need different methodologies to tackle challenges like perimeter assessment, vulnerability management, and intrusion detection.
Room for Innovation
In 2017, cloud computing will throw open the gates to new experiments as companies would be able to pull apps and data from multiple sources and test them. Plus, the cloud is breeding innovation on the Internet of Things (IoT) field. To be realistic, without the cloud, IoT simply wouldn’t be possible.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) delivers cloud computing architecture such as operating systems, networks, storage, and servers. This platform is more affordable than creating a conventional onsite network system with a data center, equipment, servers, and software. Both private and public IaaS systems are available and they can be used separately or combined for a fully customized platform. To sum up, IaaS is the base of cloud computing, PaaS is the method of development, while SaaS boosts productivity.
Cloud Brokerage is In
Cloud service brokerage will rise in the new year. These services help companies consume cloud computing free from IT bureaucracy. The cloud service broker creates flexible tools and processes that make it simple for businesses to adopt cloud computing solutions.
Predictions for 2017
Cloud Issues are Solvable
Companies are increasingly migrating their workloads to cloud platforms. This is likely to throw up issues such as performance, security, and management. But these problems can be resolved easily using technology and the right thinking. For example, AWS offers a prototype IaaS cloud service and it listens to the requirements of its users, focuses on the issues they forward, and provides the required tools through the AWS partner network and ecosystem.
Focus will be on Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is an important issue that highlights the crucial nature of standardization of technology, automation, and data-focused information security. Industry growth is sure to accelerate as all these issues are vital to successful implementation and usage of cloud solutions.
Managed Services will Diversify
Cloud computing experts are predicting that in 2017 virtualized portions will reduce while managed services will diversify. Managed services will expand their offerings to even niche markets by growing their portfolio. Virtualized portions will reduce in size from virtual devices to small functions and containers.
Companies will Prefer Widespread Features
More enterprises will migrate to cloud solutions in 2017, as the market has become more secure and mature in recent years; the many benefits of cloud-based apps far outweigh their limitations. Big cloud vendors will compete fiercely to offer ever-new features, but enterprises will be cautious about getting hooked to new technology and functionality offered by just one cloud vendor as they would not like to get locked in to a single provider, but would prefer to use a more widespread set of features.
Demand for Application Services and Analytics
There is bound be a greater demand for Application Services that offer Desktop as a Service solutions and real-time analytics offerings. There is also likely to be higher demand for enterprise-grade, secure, and fully-managed storage and sharing products. Vendors are likely to invest more in these solutions that are designed to solve customer requirements in these areas.
Advice for 2017
Embrace Opportunities
Cloud computing has shown great potential to revolutionize economic and business models. Cloud users should avoid focusing too much on technology and instead concentrate on making use of the fresh opportunities that are enabled by this innovative technology. This is especially important considering how many SaaS lead generation techniques are currently available for vendors.
Make Use of All Cloud Features
Cloud users need to exploit their solutions thoroughly. They can write cloud native applications to benefit from all that this platform can offer. This includes performance features, native security, scaling, provisioning etc. However, users should desist from making the apps too complex and keep them simple to use.
Be Prepared for the Challenges
Cloud computing issues in 2017 are likely to include legacy applications, automation, and security. To keep your data secure, you should implement the latest security measures within all layers of your cloud solution. Plus, you should focus on automating all parts of your setup to take advantage of your cloud system. Another challenge is migrating legacy apps to the cloud.
Advice for Vendors
Cloud vendors who offer their solutions and services to companies need to ensure that they are able to meet the stringent scalability, data integrity, availability, compliance, and security requirements of these organizations.
Use Cloud to Get Ahead
New businesses are using the cloud effectively to disrupt long-standing companies. Organizations need to constantly improve the customer experience they offer to stay competitive; the cloud helps them accomplish this in a significant manner.
We hope this article has prepared you to meet the opportunities and challenges offered by cloud solutions in the new year. Feel free to share your own opinions and experiences with using cloud software and enlighten our readers with your knowledge.
Author Bio: Bartosz Matusiak is the content manager at Finances Online, the fastest growing independent review platform for B2B, SaaS and financial solutions. Their mission is to help business owners find the best solution or product to fit their needs, cloud-based or otherwise.
Header image courtesy of Geelus
