As cloud computing shifts from buzzword to everyday reality for forward-thinking organizations, here are five trends expected to shape the landscape in 2012.
Research firm Gartner reports that global cloud adoption is growing at roughly 17 percent annually. Industry surveys indicate that half or more of organizations have already adopted some form of cloud computing.
Having tested the waters, what comes next for the cloud?
1. The growth of mobile cloud
When a major vendor champions a trend, the public often follows. Apple’s iCloud and Microsoft’s cloud-enabled Windows 7 brought cloud services to millions of consumers, helping ordinary users grasp and embrace cloud concepts. As more people manage social and professional lives from smartphones and tablets, mobile cloud adoption will accelerate. That surge will drive demand for faster, more intuitive apps with abundant storage—capabilities the cloud is well positioned to deliver.
2. The evolution of cloud security
Security remains a central concern and a barrier for organizations holding sensitive data. Yet security development in the cloud is advancing rapidly. For example, the U.S. federal government’s Cloud Computing Strategy identified roughly $20 billion in potential cloud migration—about a quarter of its IT budget—demonstrating mounting institutional confidence. As attackers evolve, developers respond with stronger defenses such as improved authentication and threat detection. Expect accelerated innovation in cloud security protocols and tools in the months ahead.
3. A mobile-enabled workplace revolution
Just as email transformed workplace communication, cloud platforms are changing how organizations share and store information. Early cloud pioneers like Salesforce, Microsoft and Google anticipated the appetite for mission-critical, email-centric services and have driven adoption of software-as-a-service (SaaS) models. Today, SaaS delivery increasingly serves as the preferred platform for essential workplace functions, enabling faster collaboration and more reliable access from any device.
4. Smart buildings, smart grids, smart everything
IBM projected that one trillion devices would be connected to the internet by 2013—an expansion often called the “internet of things.” Telecom carriers, network operators and mobile providers will help drive an ecosystem of sensor networks, smart grids and intelligent buildings. Practical deployments are already underway: IBM partnered with Malta to develop a smart utility system featuring hundreds of thousands of interactive meters. Those meters enable real-time monitoring of electricity use and variable pricing that rewards customers who reduce consumption.
5. The cloud is here to stay
Even organizations wary of cloud adoption often rely on cloud-hosted services like Salesforce.com, OpenAir and other SaaS tools. The reality is that cloud technologies are pervasive: many systems and applications either are already hosted in the cloud or will be soon. This is not science fiction—it is how modern IT and business operations increasingly function.
In summary, expect mobile cloud adoption to grow, security to strengthen, workplace models to become more cloud-centric, connected devices to proliferate, and cloud services to become an enduring foundation for business and daily life.