5 Biggest Cloud Computing Trends to look out for in 2022

This article features the top 5 trends outlined below defining the future of cloud computing

Cloud computing is becoming more popular than ever as businesses adopt data-driven business models, remote and hybrid work environments, and global supply networks. New capabilities and deployment patterns continue to develop, giving organizations of all sizes and sectors more options for consuming, and benefiting from their cloud investments. Cloud computing boomed in 2020 as the workforce turned virtual and businesses reacted to the worldwide pandemic by focusing on the supply of digital services. Gartner predicts that global spending on public cloud services would reach $1 trillion by 2024.

Cloud computing is increasingly seen as a critical component for firms seeking to work smarter and accomplish projects more quickly. With access to on-demand processing capacity, highly scalable platforms, and a more flexible approach to IT expenditure, the cloud has progressed from cutting-edge technology to an essential IT resource. Cloud computing trends portray how new technology is altering and the way firms function and spend their IT expenditures.

Here are the top 5 trends outlined below defining the future of cloud computing:

1) Cloud Delivery Models are Becoming Smarter

Cloud services are offered in different ways. The delivery model that a firm adopts depends on its functional requirements, the maturity of its IT and data governance requirements. As businesses are looking for more flexibility and choice in IT solutions Hybrid cloud and serverless cloud are trending.

a) Hybrid Cloud: Many businesses choose a hybrid cloud approach, which combines public cloud services with the placement of a private cloud devoted to a specific organization. This is especially true for companies that collect sensitive information or work in highly regulated areas like insurance, where data privacy is critical. A hybrid strategy is popular because it gives enterprises the control they need while also adapting and evolving as they roll out new services for their customers.

b) Serverless cloud: Serverless computing is a type of cloud computing that allows businesses to access IT infrastructure on-demand without having to invest in infrastructure or manage it. Serverless models are gaining popularity among large and small businesses that want to create new applications fast but lack the time, resources, and/or funding to deal with infrastructure. This allows developing firms to make use of higher computing power at a lower cost, while large corporations may launch new digital services without adding to the workload of their already overburdened IT personnel.

2) Bringing Intelligence to Cloud Space

The cloud has evolved into more than just a storage facility for computing power. Organizations are keen on extracting insights from the data available through Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence and are keen on boosting efficiency with best automation practices.

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence– Cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as machine learning, are assisting organizations in extracting more value from the ever-increasing amounts of data they gather. AI algorithms enable organizations to discover new insights from their data and enhance the way they work. Companies who don't have the means or talent to construct their own AI infrastructure — and many don't — can nevertheless benefit from it by using cloud service providers' systems.

Automation- Automation is a crucial driver of cloud adoption, particularly when it comes to boosting the efficiency of corporate operations. Companies can automate many internal procedures if their data and systems are centralized on the cloud. In addition, many businesses are striving to tighten connections between various pieces of software to manage their expanding cloud footprints better and ensure that solutions from diverse suppliers operate seamlessly together.

Delegation of IT operations- As more manufacturers provide solutions that can be hosted on external servers, some organizations prefer to outsource parts of their IT operations to third parties. Companies can reduce operational expenses by focusing on the core product or service rather than engaging specialist teams to create, operate, and maintain their systems. However, they must keep sensitive data and technology in mind when determining which functions to outsource to avoid jeopardizing their governance or compliance policies.

3) Security & Compliance Gets a Boost

Businesses and customers are concerned about IT security and data compliance, and today's cloud solutions are developed to resolve these concerns. This has created a huge demand for Secure Access Service Edge and Cloud-based disaster recovery practices.

a) Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)- Businesses are reconsidering their approach to security and risk management as employees access more services and data from personal devices outside of their organizations' IT networks. This is a strong approach to IT security that allows organizations to swiftly launch new cloud services and ensure that their systems are secure.

b) Cloud-based disaster recovery– Cloud-based disaster recovery backs up a company's data on an external cloud server. It is less expensive and time-efficient, with the added benefit of being handled by an outside source. Businesses frequently use cloud-based disaster recovery for critical servers and applications like huge databases and ERP systems.

4) Emphasis for Innovation and Application Development Technologies

Cloud-based platforms are rapidly expanding to serve companies' development needs as they seek to differentiate themselves by fast launching new goods and services. Cloud computing has opened new opportunities in application development, from purpose-built coding environments to decentralized data storage. This has given impetus to technologies like Containers and Kubernetes, Edge Computing, and Cloud-Native application development.

a) Containers and Kubernetes- Containers provide enterprises with a specialized cloud-based environment to develop, test and deploy new applications. As a result, developers can concentrate on the intricacies of their applications, while IT teams can focus on delivering and managing solutions making the entire process faster and more efficient. Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration technology that makes deploying and managing containerized applications easier. The software scales apps based on client demand and monitors the performance of new services so firms can address the concerns before they become a problem.

b)Edge computing- This type of cloud computing puts data processing collection, storage, and analysis — closer to the sources of the data. This lowers latency while also enabling the usage of edge devices. By 2025, Gartner expects that 75% of data generated by businesses will be created and handled outside of a centralized cloud.

c)Cloud-Native– Cloud-Native apps allow enterprises to design and deploy new software to their consumers more quickly than traditional cloud applications. Cloud-native apps are constructed as a network of distributed containers and microservices. As a result, various teams may work on new features simultaneously, speeding up the innovation process.

5) Boom in Cloud Gaming, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality 

We are going to witness a huge explosion in cloud gaming in the coming years. Platforms such as Google's Stadia and Amazon Luna are going to define the direction the cloud gaming realm takes in 2022. The arrival of Cloud Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) has made headsets more affordable and is fostering the growth of cloud gaming across various sections of society.

Cloud computing applications appear to be limitless, with 25% of organizations planning to move all of their software to the cloud in the next year. Increased cloud computing adoption and the discovery of new methods to leverage cloud-based systems to produce insights and efficiency are the upcoming trends to be seen in 2022. As more organizations embrace the increase in processing power, scalability, and flexibility that cloud-based systems provide, cloud adoption is expected to continue to expand. The road to adoption and the timeframe for doing so may vary for each company, but one thing is certain: there will be no going back to the old ways.

Author

Bhavesh Goswami, Founder & CEO, CloudThat