Cloud services and trends for 2022

As much as 30% of cloud spending is untapped, and enterprises are not making use of the full potential of their cloud solutions, suggests the Flexera “State of the cloud” report. 2022 is rapidly approaching, and surging energy prices and inflation may prompt you to plan your IT budget cautiously.

Cloud technology is trending

Cloud spending and cloud adoption are on the rise. According to Gartner, by 2022 they might reach the dizzying sum of $482 billion. Cloud solutions are flexible and highly scalable, which is why the initial investment in the cloud translates into certain savings in the future. 90% of respondents in the Flexera “2021 State of the cloud report” believe that the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant trigger for an increased number of cloud deployments, and today using cloud solutions no longer means “to be or not to be innovative”. Often it is a matter of “to be or not to be” at all. This boost in digitization caused by the pandemic is gathering speed. According to analysts and the consulting company Gartner, the cloud is again one of the biggest technology trends for the upcoming year. In addition to the business benefits of using the cloud, it also helps reduce carbon footprint. According to IDC, migration to cloud data centers will help reduce CO2 emissions by one billion tons between 2021 and 2024.

The future is cloud-driven. Main cloud trends for 2022

• Function-as-a-service (FaaS) – you can develop scalable applications without bearing the costs of infrastructure. Serverless cloud solutions are gaining popularity, as thanks to them you only pay for services that are actually used – this model is often referred to as pay-as-you-go.
• Cloud-native applications – according to Gartner, by 2025 cloud-native platforms will become the backbone of over 95% new IT projects. Cloud-native applications allow you to take full advantage of the potential of the cloud.
• Sustainability – Forrester predicts that in the upcoming year an additional 25% of  companies in the European Union will establish the role of CSO (Chief Sustainability Officers responsible for environmental policy). It is not only Big Tech which is striving to reduce the computing energy and meet net-zero carbon strategies. The SMB sector also can contribute to environmental protection by reducing the number of server rooms.
• Cybersecurity Mesh – companies are moving away from centralized architecture to distributed enterprise models. According to Flexera, in 2021 over 90% of organizations had multi-cloud strategies in place. To keep the infrastructure secure, enterprises need to introduce new safety standards, such as Cybersecurity Mesh which is a modular, zero-trust security approach. Gartner predicts that by 2024 using Cybersecurity Mesh will allow companies to lower the costs resulting from security incidents by 90%.

Cloud services you may need in 2022

Emerging cloud trends mean that the role of the IT provider is also changing. In particular, companies may need the support of external providers in areas such as:

• Cloud consulting – In today’s rapidly evolving cloud landscape, analysing and choosing the optimal cloud solution is crucial, especially for optimizing efficiency and managing costs. Effective Azure cost management plays a vital role in this process. Gain deeper insights into managing and optimizing your Azure cloud costs by exploring our comprehensive guide on Azure Cost Management, which provides essential strategies for efficient cloud expense management.
• Cloud programming – development of applications which use serverless solutions (Azure Functions, AWS Lambda), as well as creating cloud-native applications.
• DevOps – software development with the use of CI/CD tools, ensuring the highest quality. Creation and development of IT infrastructure through constant monitoring.
• Cloud Analytics – Cloud Business Intelligence is trending, so the skills necessary to build cloud databases and efficient data warehouses (e.g. with the use of Snowflake) are in demand.
• Cloud Security – keeping data and resources secure in the cloud by preventing cyber threads, data leaks and security breaches, running pen-tests and using DevSecOps skills including the implementation of backup services (e.g. based on the Druva SaaS platform).
• Cloud Identity – taking advantage of cloud-based authentication management services, also known as Identity as a Service (e.g., Okta, cloud Identity platform)

As we explore the evolving landscape of cloud services and trends, it’s essential to consider the financial management aspect of cloud computing. This is where ‘FinOps’ comes into play. FinOps provides a framework for balancing the speed, cost, and quality of cloud services. To gain a deeper understanding of how FinOps principles can help you manage and optimize cloud costs effectively, check out our detailed article on Understanding Cloud FinOps Principles.

Summary – the cloud is becoming the new standard

Cloud computing in organizations is no longer an innovation – it is becoming the new standard. We use the cloud not only for business but also for private purposes. Already most of us, store our documents or photos in one of the purchased cloud services. For this reason, the market is starting to fill up with cloud service providers offering design, deployment, migration, and maintenance of cloud solutions. Not all of them, however, have the proper knowledge and qualifications. Avoid making decisions hastily. Limited access to cloud specialists, architects, developers or DevOps engineers makes it easy to fall into a trap and engage the wrong company. When choosing a cloud provider, make sure they have an extensive project history, partner with cloud providers, and ensure that professionals have the appropriate certifications.