How to gain a cloud advantage? Here are 7 cloud computing trends for 2023 – 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing, gaining a competitive edge is paramount for organizations wishing to thrive in the digital age. We approach the end of 2023, and the cloud continues to be a transformative force, offering a myriad of opportunities for innovation and efficiency. In this article, we explore seven pivotal cloud computing trends set to shape the technological landscape in 2023 – 2025. These trends bring insights and solutions for businesses to harness the full potential of the cloud, enhancing their operations and security.

An Overview of the Cloud Computing Market 

According to the recent Pluralsight report “State of Cloud 2023”, 70% of organizations claim that more than half of their infrastructure is in the cloud. And almost 50% say they’re actively moving more of their data to the cloud. By 2030, McKinsey predicts, cloud adoption among Forbes Global 2000 companies will generate an EBITDA value of over $3 trillion.  

However, migration is not the main trend in cloud computing anymore. Now it is the rapid adoption of new cloud computing services and the reduction of cloud costs. In 2022, Flexera’s report predicted an increased importance of FinOps solutions. According to the survey’s respondents, even up to 30% of investment in the cloud is wasted. At Inetum, we are seeing more interest in solutions that enable cost optimization, such as strategies for Azure Cost Management.  

Companies need the right strategy for cloud adoption 

A good strategy and implementation of appropriate solutions are crucial, and quick implementation does not always translate into satisfying results. According to the cited Pluralsight report, 50% of leaders state that they are investing in cloud technology to develop new ideas, approaches, and methodologies but almost 70% of them do not have a clearly defined cloud strategy. 

The top cloud computing trends for 2023 – 2025 

The dynamic landscape of cloud computing is in constant evolution, and we see the transition for ourselves. Keeping up with the pace of emerging technologies and shifting paradigms is essential for businesses and individuals. Let’s shed so,e light on the trends and solutions that will shape the upcoming years.  

Serverless Computing 

Serverless computing is a cloud approach that unburdens customers from infrastructure administration and server provisioning. This technology influences the tech landscape significantly.  

The rapid rise of serverless computing is undeniable, promising more widespread adoption in businesses in 2023 – 2025, and beyond. It presents a compelling opportunity to enhance team agility and streamline costs. By implementing serverless architecture, enterprises can overcome traditional IT infrastructure barriers, eliminating the need to purchase or lease servers for data processing. Instead, a dedicated third party handles this responsibility, freeing your business and allowing you to focus on more productive endeavors. 

Cloud agnostic 

“Cloud agnostic” term refers to a software or application design principle in which the software is designed to be independent of the specific cloud computing provider or platform it runs on. In other words, cloud-agnostic applications can be deployed on various cloud platforms without significant modifications or rewrites. 

This approach is important for businesses and developers who need flexibility and cost-efficiency in their cloud computing strategy. By designing applications to become cloud-agnostic, organizations can avoid vendor lock-in and take advantage of multiple cloud providers or even migrate between them as needed, depending on such factors like cost, performance, or geographic considerations. 

AI-as-a-service 

The growing importance of Artificial Intelligence in the field of cloud computing brings huge possibilities. Cloud infrastructure plays a crucial role in democratizing access to Artificial Intelligence along with a myriad of economic and social benefits. Companies are increasingly opting for cloud services to gain access to advanced AI tools such as speech recognition, data analysis, and the Large Language Model (LLM) supporting ChatGPT. This allows companies to take advantage of these models to automate some tasks such as content creation, translation, and sentiment analysis.  

The models are trained on massive amounts of data using huge computing power. Most companies do not have the resources to do it themselves. However, by employing Artificial- Intelligence-as-a-service, through cloud platforms, companies can leverage this powerful technology. 

Low Code and No Code Cloud Services 

The Low Code and No Code platforms have made their way from merely facilitating specific functions to empowering a broader range of business employees. It is now possible to automate and develop new software applications without coding, thus increasing organizational capability. 

These solutions extend to the development of AI-powered applications, significantly lowering the barriers for organizations seeking to harness the potential of AI and ML technologies and allowing businesses to create apps without the need for technical expertise. This, in turn, expedites development and reduces costs. 

Blockchain 

Blockchain offers a tamper-proof digital ledger that operates without the need for centralized authority. It grapples with scalability issues, especially when handling Big Data.   

Cloud providers are further bolstering this trend by offering Blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) solutions, allowing businesses to create and deploy blockchain applications in the cloud. This results in a seamless integration of blockchain’s capabilities with the practicality and efficiency of cloud computing.  

This convergence promises to redefine various industries, including IT, financial services, government, and healthcare, as they transition away from traditional paper-based systems in favor of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).  

IoT platforms 

The explosive growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has prompted substantial investments from cloud providers. IoT is emerging as a prominent trend in cloud computing, serving as a vital intermediary for efficient data management and communication between devices. 

Serving as a mediator, IoT plays a pivotal role in establishing seamless communication and facilitating data collection from remote devices, all aimed at optimizing operational efficiency. Furthermore, IoT contributes to enhanced security measures by assisting businesses in upholding robust security protocols within the cloud environment. This intelligent connectivity is moving IoT to the forefront as a leading trend in the world of cloud computing. IoT technology extends its reach to address alerts and uphold security standards, ultimately creating a more secure and robust cloud environment. 

Edge Computing 

Edge Computing, a cloud network system optimization method, operates by processing data at the network’s edge, closer to the data source. This real-time functionality on cloud servers allows for data management that is not limited by time constraints, storing the data for long-term utility. With the ongoing convergence of Telecom and IT companies, Edge Computing is primed to take center stage, presenting a myriad of opportunities and applications for organizations. As the number of IoT devices continues to skyrocket, the role of Edge Computing becomes increasingly vital for real-time data analysis and information distribution, at same time optimizing traffic flow from each IoT device.  

Edge Computing relocates computation and data storage closer to the devices and sensors that generate it. This effectively reduces latency and bandwidth requirements for faster and more efficient data processing. 

Cloud security 

Cloud computing security is a paramount concern in today’s digital landscape as organizations increasingly rely on cloud services to store, process, and manage their data. One prominent security aspect is data encryption, ensuring that sensitive information is protected.  

For instance, services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) offer robust encryption mechanisms, such as AWS Key Management Service, which allows users to encrypt data stored in Amazon S3 buckets or secure communication between instances.  

Access control is another crucial dimension of cloud security, with cloud providers like Microsoft Azure implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to restrict permissions for users and applications, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. Additionally, monitoring and auditing are essential for detecting and responding to potential threats. 

Google Cloud Platform provides Stackdriver, a comprehensive logging and monitoring tool, which helps organizations track and analyze activities across their cloud environments, ensuring security and compliance. Ultimately, Cloud Computing security requires a multi-faceted approach to protect data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud, and the continued development of innovative tools and strategies is essential to stay ahead of evolving threats. 

Benefits of Cloud Computing 

In an era where data is money, cloud-based solutions provide the tools for data analysis and actionable insights, increasing efficiency and profitability. Collaboration, quality control, and loss prevention are other benefits, and cloud-based services offer automatic software updates, freeing IT resources. What other benefits can companies that choose cloud solutions count on? 

1. Accessibility Anywhere: Access your data and applications from anywhere with an internet connection. Whether you’re at the office, working from home, or traveling, you can stay connected and be productive. Such flexibility is especially crucial in today’s increasingly remote work environments. 
2. Cost Reduction: By moving to the cloud, you eliminate the need for investing in and maintaining your own servers, network infrastructure, and software. Cloud providers offer Pay-as-you-go pricing models, allowing you to scale resources up or down as needed, which can result in significant cost savings over time. 
3. Centralized Data Security: Cloud providers invest heavily in security measures. With centralized data backups and advanced security features like encryption and two-factor authentication, your data is better protected in the cloud than it might be on individual local servers. This minimizes the risk of data loss or breaches.  
4. High Performance and Availability: Cloud services can handle increased workloads, ensuring that your applications run smoothly even during traffic spikes. With multiple data centers and redundancy, cloud providers offer high availability and minimal downtime. 
5. Quick Application Deployment: Cloud computing allows for quick application deployment. You can launch new applications or services without the time-consuming process of procuring and setting up hardware. This agility is vital in responding to changing business needs or taking advantage of new opportunities. 
6. Instant Business Insights: Cloud-based platforms provide immediate access to data as it’s collected. This real-time access facilitates data analysis, helping you make informed decisions and predictions based on historical data. Business Intelligence and analytics tools are readily available in the cloud, making it easier to get insights. 
7. Business Continuity: In case of a disaster or unforeseen events, Cloud Computing offers robust business continuity solutions. Your data is stored securely in the cloud, and cloud services can be activated remotely, ensuring minimal downtime and data loss. This is especially important for business-critical applications. 
8. Flexibility: If your business experiences increased demand, you can easily scale your resources to meet it without disruptions or significant capital expenditures. This flexibility is a key advantage in adapting to changing market conditions. 
9. Mobility: With the prevalence of smartphones and remote work, the mobility aspect of cloud computing is invaluable. Employees can access corporate data and applications from their mobile devices, ensuring productivity regardless of their location. This enhances connectivity within the organization.  

These 10 benefits collectively illustrate the power of cloud computing in enhancing accessibility, security, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for organizations of all sizes and industries. The cloud’s flexibility and scalability make it a valuable tool for adapting to the ever-changing demands of the modern business landscape. 

Cloud solutions services. When is it worth engaging cloud services providers? 

The cloud is an important trend that translates into interest in digital transformation projects. In many cases, cloud services providers can support your company in areas such as: 

• Cloud consulting – increasingly often, the question is not whether it is worth moving services to the cloud, but what migration plan will be appropriate, what the costs are, how to optimize cloud services, and – from a technical point of view – what the dependencies between applications are. It is worth considering the support of an external company if we are determined to use the cloud, but we have difficulty choosing services and cloud providers. Cloud specialists also help to optimize the performance and costs of existing cloud services. 
• Cloud Programming – nowadays, acquiring the competences that will allow you to develop applications based on serverless solutions or cloud-native applications is a real challenge. Developers are in demand, and the employee’s market in IT does not make it easier to keep talents in the project. 
  Third-party cloud service providers often establish partnerships with public cloud providers such as Microsoft. This obliges them to pay attention to certification and thus ensure the availability of ready-to-work developers. 
• DevOps – DevOps culture means creating and developing IT infrastructure through constant monitoring with CI / CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery) tools. The old approach, in which the developer was also responsible for the implementation of the application, does not work in dynamic projects anymore. Solutions are implemented in the cloud, and DevOps supervises the preparation of the environment, as well as the quality and proper course of this process. 
• Cloud Analytics – in the context of data analysis, we can increasingly come across terms such as Cloud Analytics, Cloud Business Intelligence or Digital Intelligence. Building efficient data warehouses in the cloud (e.g., using Snowflake) is now faster and easier, and we can also analyze data almost in real-time, e.g., with the help of tools such as Snowpipe. 
• Cloud Security – security and access to data is an important challenge in the world of remote work in distributed cloud environments. To prevent security breaches, it is worth considering pen-testing and using the skills of DevSecOps specialists. There are also many more possibilities in the field of data backup, e.g., you can create attack-resistant backups based on SaaS platforms, such as Druva. 
• Cloud Identity – today almost everything can be provided “as a service”, including identity – or to be more specific, identity management. Companies willing to ensure cloud login security may consider using an Identity-as-a-Service platform, such as Okta, a global provider of IDaaS services, whose solutions in Poland are available via partners. 

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Summary 

In the era of cloud computing, the path to success lies in leveraging its full potential while wisely investing your resources. The cloud offers boundless opportunities for innovation and efficiency, but making the most of these advantages requires a keen eye on the emerging trends that will define the years ahead.  

The benefits of cloud computing are enormous, offering cost-efficiency, scalability, accessibility, reliability, and a platform for innovation. As the cloud landscape continues to evolve, these trends promise to help you gain the upper hand and make your investment in the cloud more profitable than ever before. 

As we delve into the latest cloud computing trends for 2023-2025, it’s crucial to consider the financial implications of these evolving technologies. Implementing ‘FinOps’ principles can be a game-changer in efficiently managing and optimizing cloud costs. To gain a comprehensive understanding of how FinOps can enhance your cloud strategy and help in aligning cloud investments with business goals, explore our in-depth article on Understanding Cloud FinOps Principles.