This report, which looks at the cloud computing industry via an Information Age list of annual projections, includes the following sections:

• Overview – The Thrill is Gone
• Trend #1: SDN/NSV Adoption
• Trend #2: Location, Location, Location
• Trend #3: Platforms on the Rise
• Trend #4: Container Obsession
• Trend #5: Internet of Things & Widespread Hair-Pulling
• Key Takeaways – Speed and Security

Overview – The Thrill is Gone

Chloe Green reports in Information Age that location is becoming a major factor for the development of IT infrastructures. Cloud meets the obvious need of speed at a low cost, but Green sees the cloud becoming less nebulous as the way in which “it is tethered to the ground will matter more than ever.”

In other words, the thrill is gone. Cloud isn’t fluffy anymore. It’s functional.

Here are Green’s five specific trends:

Trend #1: SDN/NSV Adoption

Over the past few years, the telecommunications industry has increasingly used software defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NSV) to automate the delivery of their services. In the typical large company, though, traditional networking hardware such as switches, routers, and firewalls are commonplace. The game changer is that SDN and NSV are now being built in at the hardware level, which means that cloud-style automation will become possible for any enterprise system.

Trend #2: Location, Location, Location

It has been almost 2 years since Edward Snowden became a whistleblower against the federal government for international cyber-spying. Control of data continues to be a major issue in 2015, says Green, for a couple of reasons. One is that governments want information about customers hosted on servers located within that country (as exhibited by Germany and as projected for Russia in 2016). Additionally, data regulations have been bolstered, so those concerned with compliance often prioritize location as well.

The other reason is that speed is critical for a large number of businesses, and shortening distance reduces response lag (latency). High-speed trading now makes up almost 2/3 of daily stock market trading volumes, and investors want data centers that are physically located close to stock exchanges.

Trend #3: Platforms, Anyone?

Last year many trend list creators thought that 2014 would be the year of platform-as-a-service (PaaS). However, Green thinks that 2015 will be the year it really starts to get traction.

The reason is that the climate is changing. Cloud platform providers were primarily interested in engaging the development community in the past, and platforms haven’t been compatible with one another. Enterprises need to be able to integrate their systems to enhance data analytics and mobile capabilities, so the market is adapting to meet that need. Plus, cloud platform companies “are adding databases, metering and data integration capabilities” so that scaling with a platform is user-friendly.

Trend #4: Container Obsession

Working with containers used to be a small open-source concern, but now it is quickly becoming a major piece of virtualization. Containers improve the speed when you are using more than one platform on a single server. The time needed to run tasks on virtual machines has dropped dramatically: “We’re talking milliseconds versus minutes or hours in the case of conventional virtual machines (VM).”

There are other strong suits of containers that keep virtual systems as streamlined as possible. Containers each have their own OS, prevent end-users from cross-contamination, and put less strain on RAM. Developers have become particularly sold on containers, and they’re gradually becoming prevalent throughout major companies.

The one negative aspect about container tech is that the admin systems are not yet mature. However, the Kubernetes project by Google and other high-profile efforts will further improve container automation. In brief, the market for containers and their associated storage tools will likely grow rapidly (see https://portworx.com/blog/which-databases-best-complement-kubernetes/ for more information).

Trend #5: Internet of Things & Widespread Hair-Pulling

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing within homes around the world as companies such as Samsung, Apple, Logitech, and Belkin develop solutions that automate household tasks. This field is thrilling in many ways: it could improve sustainability, make it easier for us to gauge exercise and diet patterns, and give us remote access to all of our residential ecosystems.

And then there’s the issue of the 500-pound gorilla. Security of sensitive consumer data has become a hot-button issue not just in IT but in media, marketing, and politics. The public cloud is currently used to run many IoT applications. Why do we not want anyone accessing our information? As Green points out, “Not many people will be happy with health insurers looking at data on their diet or fitness regime.”

One answer for the Internet of Things is simple, actually, as Green suggests: the use of private rather than public clouds. However, there is still the basic issue that many devices are not built for sophisticated security, and no one wants the shame of losing their identity through their smart coffee pot or smart cookie jar.

Key takeaways – Speed and Security

Speed and security remain the dual paramount concerns of consumers and businesses as the cloud develops. As always, agile organizations will craft solutions that marry performance to protection for success in the modern age. Superb Internet offers cloud solutions that both guarantee performance and are backed by recognized industry standards.

We love our customers too, which is why Mike Belton reported, “I have never been disappointed by the technical services staff.” Learn more now!

By Kent Roberts