The future of cloud-driven innovations: What to expect

As time goes on, cloud-driven technologies are becoming more and more commonplace in the IT and development industry. Through accessible public and private cloud servers, companies can offload certain tasks, such as cybersecurity or network management, and take advantage of regular updates, managed services and other major benefits.

But the cloud industry is just starting to reach its full potential. Let’s discuss what IT providers can expect this year and beyond.
 

Easier API-led integrations and upgrades

At the moment, point-to-point integrations can be very difficult to modify and maintain over the long term. They take a lot of manpower and time out of business budgets. Even when companies direct plenty of effort toward integrations and upgrades, the results can be less than stellar.

However, API-led integration can change all that. This cloud-driven innovation can help ensure seamless data flow between different applications. In turn, this will improve accessibility, result in greater agility, and grant enhanced visibility to data management/maintenance staff.

With API-led integrations and ongoing upgrades, new solutions can become reusable, accessible by multiple users within and outside of an organization, and easier to adapt to changing industry and marketplace needs.
 

Improved DevSecOps results

DevSecOps (development, security, operations) is a development and operations methodology that merges security with DevOps practices. This is more important than ever before, particularly in light of legislation like the GDPR and CCPA. That’s why companies now emphasize digital security company-wide, implementing approaches such as mandating VPN usage by employees when logging into public servers.

Organizations must ensure their security is airtight to protect sensitive business data and customer information. Unfortunately, ongoing development and agile methodologies can allow bugs to leak into final products by accident. Those bugs can have massive, if unintentional, consequences. For instance, the average cost of a data breach is around $4.24 million.

Cloud technology can help DevSecOps become more manageable and ubiquitous in the industry via AI-driven technology and machine learning. In a nutshell, the DevSecOps methodology requires a security-first approach that relies on reported data to help uncover potential bugs, fraudulent activities, and security leaks.

Machine learning and AI technology based on cloud servers can help DevSecOps developers train algorithms for better bug detection, increased security and other benefits. Furthermore, because AI technology and machine learning on cloud servers can be constantly updated and maintained from afar, companies don’t need to take the burden of managing or updating those technologies themselves.

Companies worldwide will see improved DevSecOps results when they start leveraging AI technology from cloud servers as they won’t have to maintain their own private AI tech stacks.
 

Better DesignOps performance

Similarly, cloud-driven innovations may also improve the performance of the DesignOps methodology, allowing organizations to see better results in the long term. DesignOps helps companies build standardization and scalability into workflows when building different digital products.

When DesignOps is paired with cloud technology, organizations often see important benefits, such as:

• Mitigated performance gaps
• Reduced overhead costs
• Less technical debt or an easier time overcoming existing technical debt

In addition, DesignOps can help brands reimagine and reinvigorate their customers’ experiences. Since cloud technology facilitates very rapid iteration, testing, and eventual product deployment at broad scales, it allows DesignOps methodologies to shine through. Managers and developers can design new customer experiences and iterate upon them rapidly and easily with cloud technologies.
 

Edge computing’s ascension

So-called edge computing is another important innovation we expect to become much more common. Currently, cloud computing has one potential weak point: it’s handled by a limited number of providers.

However, edge computing is a new cloud trend that involves purposely building more localized data centers for storage and computation close to or exactly where they are needed. These localized data centers can reduce the load on cloud servers overall, improving the deployment and running of applications server-wide.

Over time, this will reduce the need to rely on centralized networks, and businesses and other organizations will handle computing, management and storage tasks locally.

Furthermore, edge computing can relieve latency issues by bringing data storage and active management closer to the sources of those needs. Note that this also passively improves organizational security in a few major ways. When important files are stored locally but can easily be retrieved via the cloud, organizations can keep the cloud-based security advantages, like automatic cloud data backups, without compromising digital security.

As an added benefit, edge computing boosts bandwidth since it stores data locally and only connects to cloud servers when necessary. Overall, edge computing will likely make big waves in the cloud computing sphere, particularly as the Internet of Things and connected devices become more common.
 

Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud approaches

Lastly, cloud renovations will likely continue as multi-cloud and hybrid cloud approaches develop further. At this time, approximately 93% of enterprises have built up a multi-cloud strategy. That’s due to the increased number of workloads migrating to cloud servers. Since more companies are using cloud servers, the necessity for unique or industry-specific cloud processes and tools has increased.

Multi-cloud operations are the answer. With multi-cloud approaches, organizations can tailor different cloud servers and technologies to individual processes or needs. Of course, this can also lead to increased management or resource requirements. Still, multi-cloud operations may enable organizations to benefit from the broad advantages of cloud technology without having to rely on on-site or local servers.

In tandem with this development is the growth of hybrid cloud technologies. Hybrid cloud approaches take advantage of the benefits of both private and public cloud servers. When well integrated and applied in a balanced strategy, hybrid cloud processing allows businesses to have the best of both worlds: increased security, better scalability, and flexible services without having to sacrifice reaction speed, regulatory compliance, and very high-cost efficiency.

Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud approaches will become more common as time goes on. They’re the logical progression of cloud technology, especially considering the benefits of edge computing as described above.
 

Looking ahead

Obviously, the future of cloud-driven innovation is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy. Nevertheless, cloud technology will undoubtedly help organizations enjoy greater agility, flexibility, and security in various ways. With cloud-driven innovations, organizations will be able to:

• Maintain the benefits of cloud server technology
• Improve their security and agility
• Create better products and experiences for consumers

Time will tell how cloud technology evolves and what it does for industries market-wide. But one thing is certain: cloud-driven innovations will continue to impress for years to come. Looking for a partner who can help you stay ahead of the curve? Take a look at Sherweb’s Partner Guide for more information on how we can help your cloud business grow.