For a long time, businesses have been relying on third-party applications and hosted software to run their organizations. When cloud computing entered into the technology stratosphere roughly six years ago, it brought with it a host of opportunities as well as a number limitations.
Many enterprises still consider cloud computing as the ‘new kid on the block.’ Harboring their general distrust of the concept of a large number of computers connected to the Internet in real-time, they are taking a wait-and-see attitude before taking any steps to fully entrench their enterprises into the cloud. Meanwhile, a few are taking their first tentative forays into what is touted to become a significant and permanent part of computing infrastructure for business.
With an increasing number of people becoming more aware of how convenient it is to store and access their data via cloud storage, would businesses latch on to this type of easy and instant access to tools and information?
As with all new technologies, there will be issues and challenges involved in embedding business operations into the cloud. But what will it look like five or even ten years from now?
- Cloud computing locations will be classified into:
- Public Applications hosted for customers over a network
- Private In-house Hosting for businesses to manage security and sensitive information
- Hybrid blend of private and public cloud technology
- Community cloud
- Software divorces from hardware – because the cloud makes it possible for “invisible” computing, an increasing number of technologies will be using this service. Software will be developed in a manner where it goes through a number of filters before it finally comes into contact with hardware. Front-end applications and apps developed for service platforms won’t even need to use hardware at all.
- Division of storage – businesses will keep their customer data safe in a private cloud and archive less sensitive information on cheaper public network cloud hosting.
- Savings – by moving to the cloud, businesses will save money on overhead and equipment costs. With the advent of cheaper clouds, power-thrifty processors will make an appearance, which will cut down electricity bills.
- Faster messaging, interconnects and collaboration for global organizations – with applications massively distributed in the clouds, cloud networks will be used to host Private Branch Exchange systems that connect at super-speed into data centers and include more advanced features like account management, fax and voicemail to email and international calls. Businesses across a variety of industries will find it easier to use the data streamed over cloud computing networks.
- Data centers transform into ecosystems – cloud data centers will figuratively become a vast, living ecosystem of hardware and software controlled via a single point, shrinking or growing according to workload needs. Basic tasks like patching and updating various types of equipment will be automated, making data centers more like a biological system more than anything else.
- A new generation of companies will emerge – there will be growths in business enterprises that have been built from ground up to fully rely on “cloud as a service” (Caas). Consumption models will change as organizations grow – this is to expect the availability of clouds for their daily operational needs.
With regard to the limitations that involve privacy and security risks, it is predicted that data regulations will evolve to include standardization revolving around privacy and security of both sensitive customer information and company data. The bigger cloud providers will use more advanced technology for data protection, disaster recovery, secure commerce, intrusion testing and data redundancy.
As enterprises slowly but inexorably move towards cloud computing as the platform of the future, business needs will continue to evolve leaving prehistoric client-server technology in the dust.
Is your business ready for the cloud? Tell us in the comment section below. Four Cornerstone can help you transition to the cloud.
If you want to know more about the future of cloud computing, you can read our sources from Dell, Daily Tech and InfoWorld.
Photo courtesy of opensourceway.
