Trends in the Cloud
By Thomas Tandberg Brevik, November 28th, 2010.
Cloud computing has long been touted as a solution that will change how we work, and in part that is true. The promises of increased efficiency and collaboration are not vaporware, and the tools to implement reliable and secure cloud collaboration and production solutions are readily available.
Still, as with any new paradigm, it is only as good as our abilities to adapt, and for most companies, changing the proven routines is not done off the bat. The adaptation to cloud-based solutions is slowly on the increase, possibly even exponentially so.
Since cloud computing was conceptualized in 2007, the search trend line for Cloud Computing shows a steady increase. Comparing to the relative volume of news coverage, the increase is only slight. This could point to increased general user awareness and adaptation, but no dramatic innovation to the cloud concept. The bulk of the increase in searches comes from Asia and India, with the USA on 10th:
(The letters above the graph refer to relevant online articles. Please see endnote i for link!)
A recent study in India revealed that the cloud computing industry could grow at a compound annual growth rate of 53% by 2014. The study also estimated the Software-as-a-Service market to grow by 50%. ii
General Cloud Outlook
The general outlook of cloud computing and cloud services seems to be focused on a few key areas iii :
- Mobile cloud solutions will grow
- Cloud security will become crucial to businesses
- Governance transparency will become important
- Adoption by governments in effort to save
- Smarter infrastructure for bandwidth and power
This will drive user expectations higher, but the result will be continued improvements and maturation of cloud services. iiii
Another influencing factor that will help shape the nature of cloud services is popular social media.v When something works for private use, it will likely also work in a business context. Consider services such as chat, discussion forums, file sharing, list management etc., all to be found as cloud based business services.
While standards for cloud platforms and cloud services development will continue to be diverse, standardization will occur, driving growth and making it easier to develop and implement new cloud solutions.
The future is tomorrow
Continued maturation of cloud related services and features, such as user-friendlier interfaces, app stores and professional applications, pave way for better user adoption. There are still businesses who are too reluctant to invest in cloud computing as it represents a shift into something new, something different. But this is a paradigm shift in the way we work that will only seem obvious once the hype has ebbed, and cloud computing is commonplace and only makes sense in today's demanding business world. The future is tomorrow, but cloud computing represents the logical path towards that future.
References
- Google Trends » Cloud Computing (http://www.google.com/trends?q=cloud+computing)
- Moneycontrol.com » Domestic cloud computing estimated to grow at 53%: Study (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/domestic-cloud-computing-estimated-to-grow-at-53-study_555469.html)
- Telecomstechnews.com » Five top Cloud trends for 2012 (http://www.telecomstechnews.com/news/2011/aug/08/five-top-cloud-trends-2012/)
- Cloud Computing Journal » Cloud and Mobile Trends Drive User Expectations Higher (http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/2018077)
- CloudAve » Research Report: Cloud Trends In 2011 And Beyond, by Krishnan Subramanian, January 24, 2011 (http://www.cloudave.com/9587/research-report-cloud-trends-in-2011-and-beyond/)
