Developments in the cloud computing space are moving at a pace and scale that make it very difficult to predict the domain’s future. Cloud computing and cloud storage have garnered a lot of attention across the world. But not many of us even know about the importance of this near-revolutionary field.
We limit our understanding of cloud computing to “storing things on the Internet”. However, each organization needs cloud computing and cloud storage to maintain their everyday business activities.
Cloud computing allows us to rethink how we work with data, the method in which organizations handle their operations and how developers consider building applications.
In light of this, cloud computing is moving towards a system of standardization and high compatibility, which is a sign of growth in this domain. As the number of organizations that start to take full advantage of cloud computing increases, here are some trends that we can come to expect in 2020:
Omni-Cloud Computing
In 2019, most companies were deploying their services across various IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) providers. This was mainly because this was the only option. However, we are fast moving towards a future where applications are becoming more robust and portable, allowing for better connectivity across platforms and streamlined data integration.
This means that as barriers between platforms shrink, the multi-cloud trend could start looking more like an Omni-cloud system in the future.
The advantage of an omni-cloud system for organizations is a much more organized and easily accessible data deployment system. This effectively means that the processing requirements are reduced which leads to lower costs and increased efficiency.
Kubernetes Cloud Computing
Kubernetes is a cluster and server management tool. The role of Kubernetes is to take machines, storage, and networks beyond their physical implementation. So it uses a single interface to deploy containers to all kinds of clouds, virtual machines, and physical machines.
Kubernetes was built by Google and was used to run Google’s systems for 10 years. This in itself is a key selling point. Then a few years ago, Google pushed Kubernetes into open source.
Today, Google isn’t even the major Kubernetes developer. There are several Kubernetes development specialists and platforms that allow businesses to utilize this open-source platform to its full potential.
Kubernetes works with a multitude of cloud and server products. It works with Amazon EC2, Azure Container Service, Rackspace, GCE, IBM Software, and other clouds. But all of these products have their own orchestration tools. So what are the advantages of Kubernetes?
With Kubernetes, you can use the same orchestration tools across various systems. With it, you could expand containers to the Amazon cloud, your in-house virtual and physical machines as well, and other clouds, greatly simplifying deploying applications.
And they make sure machines are utilized to their fullest potential. All of this lowers the cost of cloud subscriptions and simplifies operations and architecture. This is all invaluable to efficiently run and manage organizations and businesses.
Serverless Computing
Currently, most organizations have to rent out servers remotely to run their applications. Developers and companies who rent these fixed units of server space generally purchase extra cloud storage to ensure that a spike in traffic or activity will not exceed their monthly usage and crash their applications. This means that much of the server space that is paid for usually goes to waste.
Serverless computing allows for a “pay-as-you-go” model, which means that developers will only pay for what they use. The term ‘serverless” can be a bit misleading because there are still physical servers present, but the server space and infrastructure concerns of these servers are handled by the vendors. This helps reduce costs and improve the scalability of the business.
There is no doubt that computers are going to become more efficient in the future. However, what is important to keep in mind is the speed at which this progress happens. Cloud computing relies on network systems that can complete tasks fast and efficiently. This can only be achieved if the hardware can match the computing requirements.
Quantum computing can help bring in systems that process data at a faster pace as compared to current computing standards. However, there is still a long way to go before quantum computing can achieve these results.
Other challenges may come in the gap that cloud computing will potentially create in the workforce. The new workforce may be proficient in cloud computing and its various applications, however, the same may not be said for the current workforce that is still trying to adapt to this new system.
Thus, a method to bring these two factions of the company together into one cohesive workforce must be developed. But the state of cloud computing today shows us that the structure of organizations is going to change, and it is going to change for the better