We outline five of the most important cloud computing trends that have been emerging, and are expected to have long-term impact.
To a considerable degree, cloud computing has transformed how we access certain computing resources, be it software applications, email services, storage, and infrastructure to name a few. Increasingly, these services and facilities do not need to be resident on or connected physically to your device or network. Instead, they can be accessed via the internet and secured as a service you can pay for based on demand or the complexity of the services required.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of cloud computing was more widely appreciated as organisations and their teams could access a broad range of resources remotely. Furthermore, cloud computing has been identified as a key driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and so its value is importance and value in the digital landscape is expected to grow. To that end, we outline five important cloud computing trends that have begun to emerge and are expected to become even more evident over time.
1. Greater focus on cloud security and resilience
If you have been listing to recent episodes of our Expert Insights series on cyber threats and security, the security specialists all highlighted the growing security threats and concerns around cloud computing. A marked uptick in threats, breaches and incidents was observed in 2020, which has continued, and has resulted in more attention being given to the security of cloud resources.
Further, with more client data being stored in the cloud and data protection becoming a fundamental requirement, cloud service providers have had to step up their security game, with robust protocols, proactive practices and increased investment in security.
2. Edge computing is growing
Edge computing is a type of decentralised IT architecture in which client data is stored and processed as close as possible to the original source or device. In doing so, improved efficiencies, lower latency and decreased costs are among the benefits that can be realised.
On the other hand, cloud computing uses a more centralised construct, which in turn provides high processing and computing power, but longer latency, and higher overall operating costs.
Decentralising the storage and processing – to the edge – allows for more real-time processing to occur, which is becoming increasingly important as the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication become more mainstream. Some applications of edge computing include IoT sensors in manufacturing and retail to track inventory and optimise logistics, and in smart cities to manage smart cameras, traffic lights and eventually, driverless vehicles.
3. Increased use for disaster recovery and backup
Business continuity has become increasingly important in today’s highly competitive landscape. However, data outages, system failures and cyber-attacks, along with the impact of natural and manmade disasters are vulnerabilities that can also affect the continuity of operations. Hence, to minimise data loss and increase the possibility of organisations resuming operations in the shortest possible time, offsite backup is widely recommended.
Storage costs have been decreasing, and with cloud services being accessible from almost anywhere, increasingly it has become a viable option for disaster recovery and backup. However, it is emphasised that cloud, like any other disaster recovery and backup solution ought to be part of a comprehensive business continuity/contingency plan.
4. AI in the cloud
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) being all the rage these days, the scope of, and application for, AI is growing. However, for AI platforms to be successfully deployed they need considerable data storage and processing power. Additionally, when AI platforms are run in the cloud, they can enjoy increased data security, encryption, backup and redundancy options, and lower operating costs. These benefits make AI deployment more viable, and consequently more accessible and mainstream, thus increasing the ways it can be used and the services that can be offered.
On the flip side, cloud service providers are also leveraging the benefits of AI and machine learning to, among other things automate repetitive tasks, manage their networks, regulate the electricity consumption of their resources and increase the productivity and efficiency of their operations.
5. Hybrid clouds and multi-clouds are growing in popularity
As organisations seek to have more robust systems, they are appreciating the need to spread their services across a number of platforms and cloud service providers. Hence, “hybrid clouds” are “a mixed computing environment where applications are run using a combination of computing, storage, and services in different environments—public clouds and private clouds, including on-premises data centers or “edge” locations” (Source: Google Cloud); whilst “multi-clouds” use “cloud computing services from at least two cloud providers to run their applications..” which could be “a combination of two or more public clouds, two or more private clouds, or some combination of both” (Source: Google Cloud).
In opting for hybrid and/or multi-cloud environments, advantages such as improved security, greater flexibility and redundancy, and more robust operations can be achieved. As a result, more organisations have been adopting a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud strategy, which is projected to continue into the foreseeable future.
Image credit: Bethany Drouin (Pixabay)
