Cloud technologies have evolved from enablers to business disruptors, according to Gartner, which forecasted six key trends organizations will consider, including AI-driven demand, multicloud complexities, digital sovereignty and sustainability.
“These trends are accelerating the shift in the way the cloud is moving from being a technology enabler to a business disruptor and a necessity for most organizations. In the coming years, it will continue to open new doors to business models, competitive advantages, and ways to achieve business goals,” said Joe Rogus, director of advisory in the IT infrastructure and operations group at Gartner. He delivered the keynote address at the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference recently held in Sydney, Australia.
1. Cloud dissatisfaction
The first trend Gartner highlighted is that while cloud adoption continues to grow, not all deployments are successful. In fact, the consultancy predicts that, by 2028, 25% of organizations will have experienced significant dissatisfaction with their cloud adoption due to unrealistic expectations or suboptimal implementation and/or uncontrolled costs. If they want to stay competitive, Gartner recommends that companies pursue a clear cloud strategy and effective execution. Its research indicates that those that have successfully addressed the initial strategic approach by 2029 will see their dissatisfaction with the cloud diminish.
2. AI/ML demand increases
Gartner also forecasts that demand for AI/machine learning will increase, with hyperscalers at the center of this growth. Hyperscalers will drive a change in the way computing resources are allocated by integrating critical capabilities into their IT infrastructure, making it easier to establish partnerships with vendors and users. In this regard, Gartner forecasts that 50% of cloud computing resources will be dedicated to AI workloads by 2029, up from less than 10% today.
As Rogus noted, “All of this points to AI-related cloud workloads increasing fivefold by 2029,” adding, “Now is the time for organizations to assess whether their data centers and cloud strategies are ready to cope with this increased demand for AI and ML. In many cases, they may need to bring AI to where the data is to support this growth.”
3. Multicloud and cross-cloud
As for the multicloud, Gartner estimates that many organizations that have adopted a multicloud architecture are having difficulty connecting with vendors and also with each other. This lack of interoperability between environments can slow cloud adoption, and Gartner predicts that more than 50% of organizations will not get the expected results from their multicloud deployments by 2029.
For this reason, Gartner recommends identifying specific use cases and planning the applications and data distributed across the organization that could benefit from a cross-cloud deployment model. This allows workloads to operate collaboratively across different cloud platforms, as well as different on-premises and co-location facilities.
4. Industry solutions
According to Gartner, another upward trend is industry solutions. The consulting firm sees an upward trend toward industry-specific cloud platforms, with more vendors offering solutions that address vertical business outcomes and help scale digital initiatives. As such, Gartner forecasts that 50% of organizations will use industry-specific cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives by 2029.
Gartner recommends approaching industry-specific cloud platforms as a strategic way to add new capabilities to your broader IT portfolio, rather than as a total replacement. In this way, organizations could avoid technical debt, drive innovation and business value.
5. Digital sovereignty
In terms of digital sovereignty, Gartner forecasts that more than 50% of multinational organizations will have digital sovereignty strategies in place by 2029, up from less than 10% today. This is because organizations will increasingly be required to protect critical data, infrastructure, and workloads from the control of external jurisdictions and access by foreign governments.
And, as Rogus recommends, “It is important that they understand exactly what their requirements are so they can select the right mix of solutions to protect their data and operational integrity.”
6. Sustainability
The last trend that Gartner highlights is sustainability. As AI workloads demand more power, organizations are also under pressure to better understand, measure and manage the sustainability implications of emerging cloud technologies. Hence, it is a feature that is increasingly being driven by regulators, investors, and public demand for greater alignment between technology investments and environmental goals.
This article originally appeared in Computerworld Spain.
Source:: Network World