COVID-19 and the dramatic shifts towards a remote business model have had a significant impact on the next generation of cloud computing. This flexible and extensible paradigm for data storage and connections makes remote work possible — and seamless cloud strategies make the switch desirable. Industry leaders continue to closely monitor current and future trends in the business and technology realm. IDC reported that in 2020, expenses for cloud-based IT infrastructure was greater than non-cloud infrastructure for the first time.
Public Cloud Computing Continues Explosive Growth
As the pandemic saw businesses rapidly adapt to remote work models, cloud computing was thoroughly utilized. Public clouds, such as those used by the big three (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform), grew the most. IDC shared in September 2020 that public cloud infrastructure spending increased by 47.8% from the previous year and now totals $14.1 billion. By 2023, IDC predicts global spending on public cloud services to total almost $500 billion. In such unknown times, cloud computing was leveraged to save countless jobs and businesses from ceasing to exist.
Artificial Intelligence Rockets to the Forefront of Business
As businesses move the majority of their infrastructure and staff over to remote work, artificial intelligence has seen a stellar increase in utilization. Artificial intelligence and IoT (Internet of Things) platforms have surged in popularity. Social distancing has forced businesses to use artificial intelligence to replace human contact and enhance communication, particularly in the realms of customer service, cybersecurity and business process automation. Employee training has been made possible with cloud platforms and AI-powered apps have made remote work more productive.
Data Privacy Will Be an Ever-Increasing Focus
An interesting symptom of increased cloud utilization is that data privacy and uniformity will continue to be a strong focus in 2021. Legislation on data privacy has increased around the world and will continue to grow in the coming years. Secure transfer of data from the original source to the cloud host will cause the need for additional encryption security. Safeguarding data and customer privacy will increase as the world moves to imitate Europe’s example with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The coming years will see data privacy practices adapted early in both on-site and remote business models.
Creating a Secure, Reliable IT Infrastructure Remains Imperative for Business Success
As you’re preparing to pitch new clients on your services, it’s vital that you are able to include tested and secure cloud computing solutions in the mix. The professionals at CPU have decades of experience supporting IT MSPs by providing a range of cloud-based solutions that keep your clients’ IT infrastructure moving smoothly. Contact us for a complimentary consultation or to see how favorably our cloud solutions compare to Amazon, Google and Microsoft cloud offerings.
