Once considered too innovative for mainstream use, cloud computing now addresses the day-to-day storage, data and software needs of companies, both big and small, all across the globe.
Much like tech in general, the field of cloud computing is also constantly evolving. In the near future, experts predict that we will see several substantial changes in how cloud technology and business interact with one another.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
For most developers, downloading some form of software or hardware is still necessary to complete a range of programming and/or application-related tasks. Cloud PaaS can eliminate costly and time-consuming downloads, delivering configuring and maintenance for everything from basic word processing software to the programming frameworks that serve as the backbone for most applications.
By providing access to used hardware and software through a cloud-based platform, PaaS allows users to use and pay for otherwise storage-intensive and costly hardware/software on an “as needed” basis.
This feature can measurably reduce the cost of IT setup as well as ongoing maintenance costs for any company that is currently accessing these tools through traditional download and storage methods.
Self-Healing Cloud
Each year, companies spend a significant chunk of their operational budgets on IT support and maintenance. With a self-healing cloud platform, companies can save money and time by using a system that proactively maintains and fixes itself. These kinds of applications can do a myriad of tasks including identifying and repairing issues related to network security and compliance.
For companies that are data-intensive, self-healing cloud platforms can even control EC2 instances, starting/stopping them accordingly and providing backup services, resizing and termination of clusters when appropriate. Some platforms can even provide checks for compliance simply by referring to the knowledge base integrated into their own platforms.
Best of all, users would have complete control over their repair features through a button-click dashboard, reducing or even eliminating the need for ongoing IT servicing expenditures.
Hybrid Computing
The multi-faceted power of the cloud is now an indisputable reality. While most reports show that the majority of medium to large companies do in fact use cloud computing for some of their needs, many are still relying on in-house storage, hardware and similar methods for much of their business needs.
However, of the companies that do use cloud computing, most are very happy with the results and have little interest in returning to older methods.
This trend of hybrid cloud computing is not only likely to continue, but increase as more companies begin to see the value in certain cloud service while finding that traditional methods meet some of their needs better. Companies that handle sensitive client data, secure information and compliance with legal regulations are likely to claim security as their primary reason for not fully converting all their workloads to the cloud.
This, combined with the opportunity for enormous cost-savings, is where the cloud applies and it is where experts expect the increase in hybrid cloud computing to be.
The cloud has already brought many invaluable tools to the world of business. Talk to an IT consulting firm to discuss how cloud computing integration can benefit your business.