The future of cloud computing seems both exciting and intimidating at the same time. It’s full of new technology and new ways to build businesses, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, there are experts out there who have already begun their journeys with cloud computing, and they can help you figure out where to go next. In this article, you’ll learn some of the most important things you might not know about the future of cloud computing, as well as some helpful tips on how to get started today.
1) The Future is #SmartCloud
At some point in our lives, we all dream about living a life with no boundaries. The future of cloud computing can allow us to do just that. Technological advances over the past decade or so have allowed for many inventions and advances beyond imagination. The future of cloud computing is one such invention that looks forward to a future where there are virtually no boundaries anywhere on Earth. In order for humanity to become a spacefaring species, there must be plenty of infrastructure and structure built on Earth before getting up into space.
2) The Future is Enterprise Ready
The future of cloud computing is increasingly enterprise-ready, meaning IT departments are more prepared to handle security issues and traditional enterprise problems. This makes transitioning to cloud-based systems much easier than in previous years. Much of what was once perceived as an impediment to cloud adoption (for example, lack of data privacy) has largely been remedied. But we’re still only at the beginning; expect change and growth to accelerate.
3) The Future is Integrated
The future of cloud computing is about more than just your software and hardware infrastructure. It’s also about applications, analytics, and customer engagement. When these three things are combined with a cloud-based foundation, you can deliver more flexibility for employees, streamline IT processes, and enhance customer experiences in an integrated way. And it’s easier than ever to get started on that path! To learn more about these game-changing technologies, see how they are transforming businesses today.
4) The Future is Mobile (or Mobility Oriented)
Users are working in more places than ever before, and what they’re demanding from their devices is changing as well. Mobility and cloud-based computing means there’s a real opportunity to redesign how users access services, data, and applications to make things work better for them. This year, we’re going to start seeing much more mobile services and how companies utilize mobility will be a key differentiator in business for years to come.
5) The Future is Collaborative
Looking ahead to 2020, we anticipate that a huge growth area will be cloud computing. Much like mobile devices, cloud computing is expected to grow in some very interesting ways over the next few years. Data security has long been a concern for both companies and consumers, but it is also one of many factors that are driving people to cloud-based solutions today and it’s likely that these same factors will encourage even more people to adopt online solutions in 5-10 years time.
6) The Future Platform is Open
In 2014, Amazon Web Services created a new cloud computing platform called Lambda. Designed to work alongside other AWS tools and resources, AWS Lambda allows developers to build applications that respond automatically to requests based on predefined rules and conditions. With more than 20 services already built with Lambda and many more on the way, it’s clear that we’re headed toward an open cloud platform where app developers are free to design programs in a number of different languages, as long as they stick with AWS.
7) The Future Focuses on Security & Compliance
Cloud computing is about more than convenience and cost savings; organizations also are realizing increased data security, better service levels, and a reduction in IT operations complexity. According to a recent survey by Vanson Bourne, 65% of businesses say they have experienced an increase in security as a result of moving to cloud solutions. The same percentage said that their compliance reporting has been simplified by their move to cloud solutions.
8) The Future Embraces Intelligent Automation
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then think of how video might be used to communicate complex technological topics. A recent survey by Cisco found that 80% of business decision makers believe video will have a significant impact on their businesses by 2020. But that doesn’t mean you need to budget for costly, custom videos. This trend also means there are many free (or nearly free) options for creating videos, including tools such as YouTube, Wistia, and FlexClip.
