From cost-effectiveness to scalability and functionality to innovation, cloud computing has revolutionized the way that businesses and individuals use digital technologies. As the cloud is a major driver of business opportunities and growth, it’s essential to understand the trends that are shaping cloud services now and in the future.
As we covered last year, seven major trends in cloud computing stood out. That article is still very much worth a read as these trends are still taking shape and making an impact. But as a brief recap:
Cloud Service Specialization
Cloud service providers are continuing to tailor their products and services to the challenges, regulations, and operational requirements of specific industries. For example, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has designed and is continuing to refine platforms for healthcare and life sciences, financial services, automotive, utilities, and more.
FinOps and Rising Cloud Costs
As cloud computing continues to evolve and organizations become increasingly dependent on cloud technologies, FinOps are increasingly essential to identify opportunities for cost control. With the increasing prevalence of AI and machine learning technologies and the growing complexity of cloud service price structures, FinOps will only become more essential as time goes on.
Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud
In an effort to optimize costs, enhance flexibility, and maintain control over data and applications, organizations are increasingly adopting multicloud and hybrid cloud approaches. So much so that Gartner predicts 90% of organizations will adopt a hybrid cloud approach through 2027.1
Artificial Intelligence (AI) as-a-Service
Cloud providers are stepping up their offerings to simplify AI development, including pre-built models and APIs. This is creating a synergy between cloud computing providers and AI, increasing real-time processing capabilities and the limits of AI itself.2
Cloud Security, Resilience and Disaster Recovery
Cloud security, resilience and disaster recovery have become core to leading cloud computing strategies, with up to 75% of surveyed organizations using self-hosted AI models to enhance security.3
While our top trends of 2024 are still in full effect this year, there are seven additional trends that stand out for their increasing prevalence and potential impact.
Although quantum computing is still in its early stages, it is poised to be one of the most innovative and disruptive trends in cloud computing. Traditional computing models use bits—simple 0s and 1s. Quantum computing uses quantum bits or qubits, which are not binary, meaning that they can exist in multiple states. This enables quantum computing to be exponentially faster than classical computing.
While quantum computing is not set to replace the classical model, industries and applications that deal with extremely large datasets and incredibly complex computations may see tremendous benefits from quantum computing. Major cloud providers such as Google, AWS, and Microsoft are all working on quantum-as-a-service models and the space is projected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2024 to $12.6 billion by 2032.4
DevOps is a methodology that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to break down silos in software development and delivery in cloud environments. The issue is that DevOps struggles with edge computing. While cloud computing uses centralized data centers to process data, edge computing uses decentralized processing closer to the data source. The distributed infrastructure, more limited processing power, and network connectivity issues inherent in edge computing all pose a challenge for DevOps, which requires continuous integration, deployment, and real-time monitoring.5
DevEdgeOps combines the agility and automation of DevOps with the specific requirements of edge computing environments.6 This approach bridges the gap in edge computing constraints, offering the speed and agility to edge environments that DevOps offers to the cloud.7
DevSpecOps takes the best parts of DevOps but adds a holistic focus on cybersecurity. Like DevOps, DevSpecOps combines software development and IT operations to streamline delivery, but DevSpecOps differs in that it places equal emphasis on the integration of security best practices throughout the entire development lifecycle.8
As we point out in this article about AI and cybersecurity, cybercrime is only getting worse, and AI is a double-edged sword in that it can aid both hackers and security efforts. Therefore, DevSpecOps is becoming more and more essential in cloud computing, particularly for AI integration and developing cloud-native security tools and architectures.9
As we touched on when covering TalkDesk’s agentic AI-powered CCaaS platform, agentic AI is a type of artificial intelligence that is designed for autonomous decision-making and can set goals and take initiative—without the need for constant human intervention. This is in contrast to the more ubiquitous generative AI models, which focus on creating content from user prompts.
AWS, Google, Microsoft, and other cloud providers are integrating agentic AI into their platforms so that customers can build their own agentic AI agents. IBM in particular is investing in agentic AI, creating “agentic apps” not only for autonomous agents that customers can tailor to their needs and audiences, but also for improving end-to-end business processes.10
AR superimposes digital graphics and information on the real world. Already popular in video games like Pokemon Go and in retail apps that allow you to virtually “see” products in a real environment, AR is becoming more and more advanced as sensors, displays, and AI become more sophisticated.
AR in cloud computing combines AR capabilities with cloud infrastructure to enhance user experiences and enable users to develop AR technologies without tremendous up-front costs in hardware and datacenters. Google, Microsoft, and AWS all offer cloud-based AR capabilities, enabling users to develop augmented reality and virtual reality applications in a pay as you go model.
LNNC is a software development approach that enables users to create applications using visual drag-and-drop interfaces instead of traditional coding. As this removes the need for specialized coding capabilities for what could otherwise be highly technical projects, LNNC offers potential cost savings and flexibility when producing IT products and services.
Major cloud providers such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon are integrating LNNC technologies into their platforms to develop apps, leverage machine learning, and build advanced analytics tools without hiring coding experts. For example, Microsoft’s Power Platform enables users to build a variety of AI tools with little to no coding expertise.
Containerized applications—such as WordPress, the most popular website content management system—package all its files and libraries into a single “container.” Containerized applications tend to be both very flexible and efficient because they can be run across wildly different computing environments, from a single laptop to a production cloud platform.
Container orchestration tools, such as Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, enhance that flexibility and efficiency by automating the core functions of containerized applications, making them critical to managing containerized applications on the cloud. As cloud computing evolves, so do container orchestration tools and their utility in AI/ML applications, edge computing, hybrid cloud environments, and more.11
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way that organizations operate and individuals interact with the digital world. As such, businesses that stay ahead of trends in cloud computing will be well-positioned to refine their operations and achieve their strategic initiatives.
While accessibility is a hallmark of cloud computing, it requires a great deal of expertise to navigate the myriad technologies that are emerging and evolving. From quantum computing to advanced container orchestration and DevSpecOps to agentic AI, it can be difficult enough to prioritize the most important tools for an organization, let alone select the best options and implement them effectively.
Make sure you check out our Cloud and Infrastructure Solutions. As we say, leveraging the cloud is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Our team is composed of experts and engineers who have helped myriad businesses harness the power of the cloud. Whether you’re new to the cloud and don’t know where to begin, or are looking for assistance with advanced optimizations, we’re here to be your trusted partner.