Cloud Computing Predictions For 2020

Cloud computing is big business. In 2018, Statista and CenturyLink valued cloud computing at $180 billion and by 2020, it’s expected to reach $411 billion. With further technological developments on the way, the adoption of cloud computing will continue to grow. So what can you expect from cloud computing in 2020? Here are our top predictions.

1. Cloud Security Challenges

The security of the cloud will remain the biggest and most pressing challenge. The entire organisation, not just the IT department or CIO want to see the chances of data being misplaced lessen while having greater control of access over their environment. In simple terms, they want to look at what can be done to ensure data is handled securely by following a strict ISO policy (Change Control). 

With more businesses trusting the cloud and utilising remote access, cutting back on these isn’t feasible. Organisations are expecting the protection of device connections on the network to increase, making it a bigger challenge for developers. 

The 21st century has seen huge data breaches worldwide. With the frequency of data breaches and cyber attack headlines, it feels like there is a new hack happening every day. What can also be seen is how cyber attacks impact businesses of all sizes – from SMBs to tech giants such as Facebook and AWS. Every organisation is at risk from an attack.

Organisations need specialists in operations and mobility to reach the required level of security. To get to that level, technologies such as biometrics for login, remote management of security and encryption of hardware are required, so that all information stored in the cloud is protected.

2. 5G

The arrival of 5G is set to revolutionise cloud computing and the IoT as we know it. Being 100 times faster than 4G, the rollout is expected to help see a growth of mobile cloud applications across all industries. The IoT (Internet of Things) will be an everyday occurence for everyone, going far beyond just our mobile phones. This can be from the home appliances you use to even the floor that you walk on.

Such a speed increase means businesses using unified communications services can take advantage of 5G’s lower latency capabilities, allowing for faster messaging and file transfers. 5G also means that innovative ideas for applications can be implemented, allowing services to reach their full potential with nothing left behind during the development stages. 

2020 will see cloud computing businesses offering more features and options to users than ever before, while remote workers will enjoy the benefits of faster hotspots to complete their work.

3. Digital Natives

The majority of people in the workplace are currently those who have adopted digital into their lives. According to Bloomberg, 32% of the world’s population are now Generation Z, but while most are digital natives some aren’t. Digital natives are those individuals who have been brought up during the age of digital technology, meaning they are familiar with computers and the internet from an early age. 

With more Generation Z now reaching working age, the influx of digital natives is set to increase. These people will be able to create concepts from a digital mindset, and converse and think in a digital first manner. Generation Z (born in 1995 and after) are also expected to make use of tools such as WhatsApp or Twitter over traditional communication methods such as email.

With more digital natives in the workplace, it creates two difficulties. Firstly, digital natives are likely to collaborate more with fellow workers who work with digital in their everyday activities. Secondly, companies cannot allow older employees to become obsolete in the workforce.

Inverse mentoring will become more common to help older employees adopt technology better in the workplace, with the help of digital natives. To create a digital workforce that benefits the workplace, businesses must use cloud computing, mobile devices and other new technologies to help combine the skills of the younger and older generations of employees.

4. Serverless Computing

“Serverless computing” is set to be a big trend in 2020. The term is quite misleading because applications still use servers to run. However, with serverless computing, the cloud provider manages code execution when required and only charges for it when the code is running, similar to a ‘Pay-as-you-go’ concept. With the adoption of serverless computing, businesses can avoid maintaining servers and producing code.

While it’s expected to be a big development in the cloud space, transitioning to a serverless cloud requires a strategy. With an overhaul on development and production, outsourcing your entire infrastructure to the cloud is a big job. 

The potential of serverless computing will depend on its development and adoption during 2020. While current solutions lock businesses to one provider, open source could open up more opportunities for organisations to adopt the technology.

5. Specialised Cloud Systems

Cloud systems are heading away from the one-size-fits-all they’ve always been. Usually a cloud system is differentiated by what they provide, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). While we’re starting to see some examples of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), in 2020, you’ll see more.

Alongside the big names who provide cloud computing and storage for businesses, you’ll see more vendors who offer industry specific solutions. These solutions will support businesses in building their cloud capabilities for certain workloads that typically require a dedicated application to be built. Each cloud will be categorised and tailored by the capabilities of each infrastructure to give a whole new range of cloud classes.

Cryoserver has already taken a step into that future, offering businesses email archiving as software, hardware, cloud-based SaaS or a combination of all to match your current IT infrastructure and assist you to combat your biggest Cloud security challenges. With 2020 set to be another year of big data breaches, the scrutiny behind your compliance measures isn’t going to end. Get a quote from Cryoserver today.