As the roles of CIOs are ever-evolving, 2019 promises even more pressure for them to deliver IT solutions to meet expected levels of customers and partners.
As far as cloud goes, we saw 2018 as a year where IT spending grew and with the outlook to be around 60-70 percent of all software, technology, and services spending by the year 2020.
Making it imperative for CIOs to see cloud computing as vital for them to have the ability to compete and not look at it as an option or a cost that needs to be effectively managed.
Next year will be the year when CIO’s will be learning to understand the capabilities of new cloud-based technology and need a focus on security so they need to forget the printer inks and toner cartridges as there are lots to learn.
So here we have
Four cloud computing trends CIO’s need to be prepared for in 2019:
1. The Rising Number of Cloud Services And Solutions (SaaS, Paas, IaaS)
An explosion in cloud services and solutions is on the horizon and here’s why:
- (SaaS) Subscription-based software-as-a-service looks set to grow around 18% CAGR until 2020 as per Bain & Company.
- (PaaS) Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) investments will grow from to 56% in 2019, making it the emerging sector in cloud platforms, according to KPMG.
- (IaaS) Infrastructure-as-a-service is being predicted to reach as high as $72.4 billion worldwide by 2020, as per Gartner.
By judging cloud-computing current trends it’s plain to see the public and private sectors of cloud solutions rising dramatically during 2019. With the cloud showcasing its simplicity while providing quality performance so businesses are starting to take notice.
2. The Holy Grail For Tech Giants Quantum Computing — Maybe Closer Than We Think
Quantum supremacy is what this race is about. The big players are looking to take the lead with IBM continuing to race Microsoft, Intel, and Google all of which are deep into R&D with the quantum computer to deliver on over-due capabilities such as real AI conversations, seamless data encryption, weather predictions, and complex medical problem solving as an example.
Although an error-free reliable solution is probably around a decade away, recent events have shown us that the big four are getting closer as the race hots up.
JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Samsung, and Daimler Honda were very quick on the up-take of last year’s IBM release of a 5-qubit and 20-qubit version which was seen as a landmark when they offered quantum computing in a cloud service, Samsung being first into the testing phase.
Since then we have seen Alibaba team up with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to move further forward into developing an 11-qubit service that is already available on the quantum computing cloud platform, so they now have the second-fastest service in the world.
The fact is the quantum computing market has faster-than-anticipated growth. We are looking at estimates that the market worth will be around $1.9 billion by 2023 and then over quadrupling by 2027 to about $8 billion.
What we are seeing is a marketplace that is getting a little crowded with start-ups joining the race.
Well-known companies like Canada’s D-Wave Systems were the world’s first quantum computer sellers. With over a dozen other firms involved in component, algorithm, software, and application tool development.
If the two heavyweights Alibaba and IBM could implement an effective quantum computer with their cloud service, it will likely speed up the process of adoption of quantum computing.
This is about achieving milestones as once they are accomplished it will lead to a succession of innovations in quantum computing.
3. Opt-In Will Become Popular With Businesses For Hybrid Cloud Solutions
For some businesses the transition to the cloud was somewhat trickier than first anticipated and where the opportunity has arisen for hybrid solutions to play their part.
When using hybrid solutions transition can be more gradual and comes with less risk attached and lower costs. 2019 will be a year where businesses will choose the efficiency and effectiveness of hybrid cloud solutions.
IBM, AWS, and Google offer multivendor systems that incorporate a blend of private and public clouds. The CIOs of 2019 will need to pay attention to what advantages and disadvantages are to be had from each of the cloud options to make the right decision to suit their requirements.
4. GDPR Looks Set To Make Cloud Security More Confusing
Security will not come as a surprise to you with cloud technology; this is to be ongoing. With the introduction of the (GDPR) General Data Protection Regulation, it is hoped that businesses will take a more pragmatic approach and give due consideration to security implications that come with the ease of use the cloud provides.
All companies will have to come to terms with the fact that they must fully comply with their data practices to the requirements of the GDPR.
Gartner predicts that moving into 2020; nearly all existing vulnerabilities will already be known by security and IT professionals since 2019.
Digital transformation with lead to more and more businesses moving into the cloud next year, meaning cybersecurity threats will also be on the increase.
Over 80 percent of workloads for businesses will be cloud-based by 2020 Over 40 percent of business workloads will be operational from public cloud platforms with 22 percent using hybrid versions.
It looks like GDPR compliance was stringent, the effect is not calculable at this stage but a lot to learn for CIOs as we move forward in understanding how this will affect their services.
Conclusion
This ever-evolving tech environment is throwing up more challenges than ever that need to be met with equally efficient decision-making. The above trends are the most competitive and necessary areas that require resources from the budget to ensure businesses stay ahead of the curve through 2019 and beyond.
