Cloud Technology to watch in 2018

Businesses are continually looking for ways to use cloud computing to reach their goals. With so many great benefits to offer, cloud computing is definitely become the way of the future. During 2017 we’ve seen an increase in cyber attacks such as the WannaCry ransomware and CIA Vault 7 hack, making it even more important to ensure that security remains one of the most important features of cloud computing.

Another important factor is cost; cloud storage prices are also falling, allowing for a new era to emerge during the next few months. When we look at new cloud technology trends in 2018, here are the ones you should watch:

Container Orchestration with Kubernetes #

One of the most talked about technologies is undoubtedly the role Kubernetes will play in cloud computing in 2018. Kubernetes – much like Docker for containers – has become the cloud orchestrator of choice. Kubernetes can be used by developers to easily migrate and manage software code.

Kubernetes has been adopted throughout the industry, including Docker and Microsoft Azure, showing just how effective this open-source container orchestration system is. It provides simpler cloud deployment and efficient management.

Cloud Cost Containment #

With the recent announcement from AWS that they will be providing per-second billing for EC2 instances, other providers are also expected to announce updated pricing plans. In general, it is much easier to calculate the cost for single cloud provider as opposed to calculating the cost in a multi-cloud environment. Multi-cloud environments are difficult because there are different pricing plans for cloud providers. With different cloud service pricing and consumption plans available, pricing can vary greatly between providers.

Serverless Architecture #

One of the great benefits of cloud computing is the ability to use extra resources and pay for what you use. This model allows for a VM, or instance, to be a unit for an additional compute resource. This means a ‘function’ has become an even smaller unit of use. It’s cost-efficient for the cloud provider to manage and scale resources on demand in the cloud, reducing all the heavy lifting that was usually required. There is a limitless supply of virtual machines, so there are no upfront costs and a lot of flexibility exists.

Cloud Monitoring as a Service (CMaaS) #

Another popular trend that comes from the growing demand for hybrid cloud solutions is Cloud Monitoring as a Service (CMaaS). CMaaS is used to monitor the performance of multiple servers that are interdependent to the service delivery of a business. These services should be independent of the providers themselves and it can be used to monitor in-house environments and host various cloud services by installing gateways to the environment.

Cloud Facilitation for IoT #

Gartner Research predicts that there will be around 20 billion mobile devices worldwide by 2020. With so many devices around, the cloud will play a much more significant role. You’ll also need more space to store data such as documents, videos and images, which all help drive the need for IoT in so many ways. We should see a lot of development towards IoT in 2018.

Multi Cloud Strategy #

Multi cloud strategies will become a dominant factor in 2018. It allows organizations to deploy different workloads and separately manage them. International Data Corporation predicts that more than 85 percent of enterprise IT corporation will adopt multi cloud technology by 2018. Organizations can save significantly be adopting a multi cloud strategy as they won’t be locked in with only one provider. Enterprises can save millions per year.

The Popularity of Cloud Based Big Data Mining #

Many companies are launching IoT applications in 2018 and they will rely heavily on big data generated from these applications. However, they don’t necessarily have a great way to mine the data, which is where cloud technology comes in. Cloud based big data mining will definitely see an increase this year, helping companies to use the data from their applications.

Proactive Cloud Analytics with AI #

AI can be seen in many areas of our lives; just look at digital assistants like Siri and Cortana, as they all use AI to provide useful information and execute tasks. Companies will incorporate AI into their analytics streams to make proactive business decisions so that they can automate their response and allow for actionable information and recommendations.

Cloud Security Will Remain a Priority #

Cloud computing is still emerging and as such, requires a different approach to security than traditional IT infrastructures. In 2018, cloud security will be more important than ever and this offers a great opportunity for cloud solution providers to come up with a robust security solution that is effective for their customers.

During 2018 we will definitely see cloud becoming more strategic, with the help of a few great technologies. It is expected that the adoption of the services above will help to increase performance and automation in terms of cloud computing.