The Bright Future of Cloud Computing

Many have regarded cloud computing as the fourth industrial revolution in information technology. There is no doubt that in the next decade, computing infrastructures will be largely cloud-based. This means that there are big changes coming in the industry – after all, we are still in this technology's initial stages. Just as computer scientists in the 1960's had no way of predicting the iPad as anything more than science fiction, it is very difficult to speculate on the future of cloud computing technology by the middle of the 21st century. However, this is a fast-evolving field and huge growth is projected in the next decade. Analysts at Forrester, for example, have predicted that cloud computing will grow into a $150 billion dollar industry in the next eight years. Although there are barriers to overcome, a widespread use of cloud computing technology in most company's IT infrastructure will lead to a generalized change in all computing-related fields. Being prepared for these changes is a great way to make sure that your company is prepared for what most experts agree will happen in the next eight years. The Total Separation of Hardware and Software The most important change will probably be SaaS becoming the norm, rather than an exception. Software will no longer be tied to hardware, leading to a radically different way of conceiving IT infrastructure. In fact, most companies will not be able to tie down their IT infrastructure, pointing instead of their cloud computing service providers. Infrastructure will, essentially, become invisible. Front end applications built on a platform that is essentially a service will entirely do away with hardware restrictions on software on the user's end. Due to the processing power inherent in the cloud's scale, we will start to see the real power of HaaS, with powerful modular software that can take advantage of the complexity afforded by the cloud. This will mean a radical change in software development, placing a large emphasis on the development of very large applications with multiple components that can be modified independently and without having to shut down the program – modular software. This will require a radical change in programming mindsets and in IT management. A likely model for future software interactions can be found in current social media networks. Software will have to become social, interacting with different hardware and applications constantly, much like Facebook users “like” different videos, posts, or pictures. Lower Processing and Implementation Costs For current businesses, this means lower hardware costs and cheaper access to cloud technology. Thanks to current cloud projects, such as the Open Compute Project, businesses will have access to powerful infrastructure that can be maintained quickly and easily while being invisible to the end user. Prices will also be driven down with the coming of low-power ARM 64-bit capable chips, which will be entering the market in about a year. These processors will cut down on energy bills, leading to dramatically lower data center prices. It will not only be ARM; competitors are working hard to bring their chips to the same power usage standards, easily setting a trend for future data center processing. Preparing for the Fourth Industrial IT Revolution The greatest barrier in the future of cloud computing is actually in the hands of the vendors and the industry. The technology is there; the main problem will be developing the necessary openness and interaction necessary to implement upcoming breakthroughs in cloud computing. Two things will be needed: full technical disclosure and clear industry standards. This is because the future of cloud computing has been predicated on breaking down computing to its individual parts and having them interact freely. However, it will also be necessary for everyone in the industry to interact in the same way. Of course, this will definitely be an uphill battle. Vendors that can charge for their proprietary technology will not be happy with standards and full technical disclosure allows newcomers to enter the market with a better chance of competing. However, the outlook is quite promising, with companies such as Huawei and HP joining the Open Compute Project and similar open source and open hardware projects. If anything, the real debate in the future will be finding out where to draw the line on exactly how open vendors and businesses will need to be.

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Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.   About the Guest Author: Nida Rasheed is a freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, Nida often finds herself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to her heart. She lives in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be found on Twitter @nidarasheed.