It started out as an experiment which only the large enterprises could afford, but now Cloud has become a realistic platform for even small and medium businesses. 2012 had been an eventful year for the Cloud, but with IT, it only gets better and bigger as time goes on.
So what does 2013 have in store for Cloud?
Cloud Computing will become a mainstream solution
The success of Cloud implementation is appreciably visible in businesses these days. Cloud technology has delivered on its outrageous claims – Whether it was about the costs, scalability or security. In 2013, more and more companies, and even smaller organizations, would come on board with Cloud. Moreover, ‘Cloud computing’ would find a place in a laymen’s dictionary.
Riddance from Security Paranoia
The security issue has always held companies back in making the switch to Cloud. However, Cloud is now as secure as the traditional IT solutions. With vendors, gearing up to sell their technology for enterprise use, considerable amount of efforts have been put in towards securing the Cloud gates. In 2013, more businesses would start realizing that. It’s very probable that organizations which deal with sensitive data, like banks and healthcare facilities, will also start perceiving Cloud as a secure platform.
Standardized APIs for Cloud Applications
To attract more developers to the Cloud platform, Cloud vendors will start standardizing APIs. Locked-in applications are very discouraging for developers because of limited reach and the difficulties that spout in the scenario of switching providers. Having a standard would make applications compatible and attract more developers.
Moreover, having more people working on the Cloud tech will also make it feasible to deliver customized solutions to the increasing number of organizations that are accepting the Cloud.
Big Data
The Big Data technology has been on the rise for quite some time. With the emergence of social media, and other third-party data sources, data is available in abundance. The computing infrastructure that goes into storing, and more importantly, analyzing the vast amount of data is inexorably expensive for on-premise setup. Big Data on the Cloud would trend in 2013.
More access to Computational Power
Smaller organizations which routinely need high performance computing would benefit from Cloud. Certain Industries, even Universities, require powerful hardware to run simulations. These would have a cheaper way in 2013– renting time on a Cloud server.
The best (or worst?) thing about technology is that it can take unpredictable turns. However, with Cloud, 2013 certainly promises to be a year of innovations and widespread acceptance.
