As 2017 was tailing off, most businesses were also strategising on how their enterprises could better utilise technology to more effectively achieve their brand goals in 2018.
But the more ambitious ones, in addition, considered the latest changes in cloud computing and how they can prepare for them. These brands are already setting their sights on some of the biggest cloud computing trends set to dominate the digital stratosphere in the new year.
- Better internet and the emergence of 5G
As more data is expected to be generated and kept in storage across the globe in 2018, users can also expect improved connections from network providers. While the advancement towards quicker network speeds has been led by Qualcomm Snapdragon so far, it is anticipated that other groups will be making moves in the same direction, in order to ensure that those improvements are made.
The hope is to achieve 5G as soon as possible. It is anticipated that solid movement towards full 5G networks from gigabyte LTE speeds will see to it that we get there. With better network quality, the expectations of consumers (with regards to fast-loading and very responsive apps and services) will increase.
The savviest business managers will be quick enough to make the required re-evaluations and upgrades to their website platforms, PaaS and SaaS to be more responsive. In addition, the IoE and IoT sectors will enjoy the benefits of swifter network speeds, as enterprises in this area will be in a better position to process real-time data with better efficiency.
- Advancement of the Internet of Everything (IoE)
Both the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence were huge in 2017, playing crucial roles within the technology space. It’s expected that IoT will grow significantly, but also that the IoE will be at the centre in 2018. The factors that will contribute most to the growth of IoE include cloud computing and the rapid development and innovation in data analytics.
IoE is dependent on how people interact with the objects within their environment, as well as communications between machines, data and processes. As the IoE evolves into complex systems for the purpose of making interaction simpler, cloud computing is set to contribute significantly.
What this means for us is that we’ll be able to make intelligent interactions with every available device within a network, as is obtainable with IoT.
With IoE, businesses will be provided with greater insight into the ways in which their customers connect with their services and products. With that kind of valuable data, business can come up with ways to simplify customer experience via smart robots and automation.
- More capacity for cloud storage
It’s a no-brainer for storage of data to advance phenomenally in 2018, considering that cloud services are becoming almost compulsory for many businesses. Service providers may be looking to take more data centres online with storage equipment that has greater capacity.
As data centres do their bit by increasing the storage available, serious businesses can be better placed to further their objectives by leveraging that area. For instance, companies that are involved with big data will very likely use the greater storage space to store large sets of data and perform analytics on them, as well as grab useful insights into aspects like strategic financial investments, human systems, and customer behaviour.
Even smaller businesses will not be left out of the party, as they will be able to enjoy bespoke or custom storage options at prices lower than were obtainable in 2017.
- Phenomenal expansion of cloud solutions
Customers and businesses were enticed to give cloud services a try because of the flexible and financially attractive door that Software as a Service (SaaS) opened for them. The amount of cloud solutions in the private and public sectors has been expanded as a result of the growth of platform (PaaS) and infrastructure (IaaS) as a service.
It is expected that more enterprises will utilise the high performance and simplicity that comes with the cloud, much like companies in New Zealand are taking advantage of NZ domains to boost their local visibility.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that SaaS solutions will take the front seat, becoming the most utilised cloud service around the world. Also, PaaS and IaaS are expected to increase even more than they did in 2017. Businesses are continuously looking into better ways to make operations simpler. To achieve this, they can be expected to integrate SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS into their processes.
- Better consciousness about security
2017 was a tough year for cybersecurity, as there were a couple of serious cyber attacks, marking it as the worst year so far. It is expected that there will be more attacks orchestrated for the purpose of interfering with cloud infrastructure security, both individual and state-sponsored.
It is likely that security analysts from every sector will have to be more timely and sophisticated in their approaches to detecting cyberattacks and preventing them. This can only be expected, as cyber attackers improve their methods and grow in sophistication.
More businesses will recognise why it is necessary to invest in malware detection systems and tools, such as security information and event management (SIEM), to serve as foundational defence mechanisms against cyber attacks. This is another area where cloud services can be useful; businesses that may be unable to enforce complete security measures can be offered robust services by managed security service providers.
Making a case made for edge computing
While a great proportion of enterprise-generated data is created or processed inside a private cloud or data centre, it will turn out to be the more sensible choice to use the cloud to handle data processing, as more processing power is needed. This is what edge computing does and it can be expected to be used to make a case for the cloud in 2018.
