During the Covid-19 pandemic, a cloud computing explosion was seen when work was forced to go virtual, and companies had no choice but to embrace cloud technologies. In 2022, continued rapid adoption of cloud computing technologies is likely.
According to research by International Data Corporation (IDC), total worldwide spending on “whole cloud” (the hardware and software underpinning the cloud technology supply chain, and the cloud managed services) – will cross $1.3 trillion by the year 2025 at a CAGR of 16.9%[1].
Here are 6 of the most disruptive cloud computing trends that are expected to rule in 2022.
1. Hybrid cloud environments
Tech giants of the world, like Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, are focusing more on the rollout of their hybrid cloud models. The hybrid model will give the best-of-both (public and private clouds) world to businesses. Hybrid cloud computing services are, in no way, about compromising between the private and public cloud. Hybrid is more about combining the advantages of the two.
A BCC Research report found that the global hybrid technologies market is expected to reach $98.8 billion by the year 2022, at a CAGR of 20.1% for the period of 2017-2022 [2].
On one hand, the information that needs to be comparatively more accessible than others can be stored on the public cloud (like Azure or AWS) and accessed via apps and tools. On the other hand, the critical, confidential and more sensitive data can be stored on private cloud servers to which the access is limited and can be closely monitored.
In 2022, as we financially recover from the pandemic, more organizations will realize the power of hybrid cloud models and start will embracing hybrid technologies.
2. Serverless cloud
This is a relatively new cloud computing trend that is expected to gain traction in 2022. Also referred to as ‘functions-as-a-service’ (FAAS), the serverless cloud would mean that companies wouldn’t have to lease servers or pay for a certain fixed amount of cloud storage.
Serverless clouds would be available as a ‘pay-as-you-go’ service where you won’t have to switch between plans and the infrastructure would scale as and when the app required it.
‘Serverless’ doesn’t literally mean ‘no server’. It translates to an added layer abstraction between the platform and users. This one is one of the most exciting cloud computing trends that we want to see unfold in 2022. Serverless will play a significant role not just in cloud computing, but in the broader technology landscape of enhancing user experiences.
3. The Internet of Things & Edge Computing
In an attempt to bring data and data processing closer to the end-users, data storage and processing is becoming decentralized via edge computing. Cloud service providers are responding to the growing adoption of IoT devices with edge computing. It doesn’t just bring down bandwidth usage and its cost but also reduces latency considerably.
According to Statista, the global edge computing industry is expected to experience an increase in market size from US$ 1.93 billion in 2018 to US$ 10.96 billion by 2026 [3]. Centralized cloud servers and platforms consume a lot of processing, computational and bandwidth resources. Edge computers are localized data centers built for storage and processing at the point where they’re needed.
4. Multi-cloud environments
A multi-cloud environment is when 2 public clouds are being operated by an organization in tandem. Meaning, organizations can use 2 or more cloud solutions by different cloud solution providers. Using multi-cloud solutions helps companies in enhancing data redundancy and business expansion. A study by Accenture found that 93% of all companies are going for a multi-cloud strategy and an increase in multi-cloud adoption is expected in 2022 [4].
5. Artificial Intelligence in cloud computing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing will together leave a huge mark on the world. The evolution and advancement of the two technologies are interconnected and this will become clearer in 2022 (and beyond). Cloud computing technologies and services are making AI more accessible to businesses around the world that once would have not been able to afford these technologies.
With the help of the cloud, companies can now integrate Artificial Intelligence into their day-to-day business operations. Disruptive AI technologies like machine learning, big data, and knowledge graphs are features and functionalities that are AI-enabled.
6. Containerization
Open-source systems for container orchestration, like Kubernetes by Google, provide users with the rise of containerized apps, which will continue to emerge in 2022 at an enterprise level. These “containers” bring the advantages of virtual machines, merging the forces of a self-contained operating system to offer a seamless performance across multiple machines.
In cloud settings, container portability allows performance consistency across the entire organization and resource usage distribution. With containerization, the user also has increased access to tracking the difference between containers and rolling back as and when needed.
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Sources
- [1] International Data Corporation (IDC) “Worldwide Whole Cloud Forecast, 2021–2025: The Path Ahead for Cloud in a Digital-First World” (2021) [Online] Available from: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US47397521 [Accessed December 2021]
- [2] BCC Research (2018) “Hybrid Cloud Technologies: Global Markets Through 2022” [Online] Available from: https://www.bccresearch.com/market-research/information-technology/hybrid-cloud-technologies-markets-report.html [Accessed December 2021]
- [3] Miltz, K. “Market size for edge computing worldwide 2018-2025” (2021) Statista [Online] Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/948762/worldwide-edge-computing-market-size-forecast/ [Accessed December 2021]
- [4] Accenture (2020) “Accenture-The-Cloud-Imperative-Software-Platforms-Industry.pdf” [Online] Available from: https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/PDF-139/Accenture-The-Cloud-Imperative-Software-Platforms-Industry.pdf [Accessed December 2021]