2016 saw the continued growth of cloud adoption among large organizations as well as predictions around the technology. Some of the notable highlights included:
- Gartner’s declaration that by 2020, a corporate no-cloud policy will be as rare as a no-internet policy is today.
- Forrester’s prediction that the public cloud services market will grow to $236 billion by 2020.
- The popularization of hybrid cloud technologies for organizations in transition into the cloud.
- The arrival of integration and cloud-native platforms further empowering cloud and DevOps adoption.
That said, there’s still quite a bit of work still remaining to be done as we hit 2017. Here are five of our predictions for the year ahead:
Prediction #1: Conservative Industries Adopt Cloud-First in Droves
While it might be 2017, there are still numerous organizations that have yet to think about moving to the cloud. Many of these are in more conservative industries including finance, healthcare, and education as they wait for others to make the first move. As cloud also addresses more regulatory issues than ever, organizations that previously avoided cloud may be more open to adoption.
Prediction #2: Cloud Security Is Front and Center
Data breaches are a regular part of our everyday fabric, with news of customer emails, credit card numbers, and phone numbers being leaked online in what appears to be a weekly occurrence. In 2017, we anticipate not just cloud, but also the security software surrounding the protection of software and data to really gain traction.
Prediction #3: More Organizations Will Go Full-Cloud
Another year means another round of technology refreshments for organizations. Unlike previous cycles however, organizations will be more fully cloud-oriented this time around as they are more aware of the available offerings and their benefits. You’ll see this in everything from data centers to productivity tools to communications systems.
Prediction #4: Migration Goes Mainstream
As more organizations fully embrace the cloud, migration will go mainstream too. Along with more migration will also be security and performance issues, along with the playing well of data with a variety of platforms. Expect to see more on everything from the integrity of data to the definition of uptime itself.
Prediction #5: Cloud Will Go Small
While adoption of the cloud is big, the development process will go small in the form of microservices, APIs, and chat-bots. These services received ample attention in 2016 and will only gain more in the New Year as organizations emphasize lean and agile methodologies, resulting in applications that don’t break and are easier to maintain.
What Do You Think?
Do you have thoughts on where cloud will head in 2017? Share them with us in the comments section below.
If you’re looking to move your organization to the cloud, send us an email at sales@perficient.com today.
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