Cloud computing trends that will dominate the industry in 2015

Within just a few years of its inception, cloud computing has become an integral part of many organization’s IT ecosystem. The cloud has simplified the way businesses access their IT infrastructure and modified the expectations of end users accessing these systems.  For some companies, the cloud has freed-up resources traditionally reserved for buying and maintaining legacy software. It has also revolutionized the way some businesses access information and applications inside the corporate firewall.  However, increasing demand for cloud computing services has driven many companies to look for ways to make the cloud work better for their small business.  

Here are some trends that will likely dominate the cloud computing industry in 2015. 

Cloud services will continue to remain popular 

In 2008, the revenue generated by cloud computing industry was around $46.6 billion. This number rose to around $150 billion in 2013. Within just 5 years, the revenue generated by the cloud computing industry saw 225% hike. This data clearly shows a high demand for cloud services.  The team at Gravity Systems is confident that an increasing number of companies will invest in cloud services of some sort.  In the small business arena, we have seen vast adoption of moving certain information “silos” that are easily de-coupled from the local network.  For example, we have seen most of our customers under 50 “seats” move to cloud based Exchange email (GravityMail Advanced).  A vast majority of small and mid-sized businesses are also using cloud AntiSpam and AV services, like our GravityAntiSpam or similar.  

Hybrid cloud services will be in demand 

After companies move easily portable services such as email and CRMs to the cloud, the next step is to evaluate if hosting some or all of the core infrastructure in the cloud makes sense.  From a strictly cost perspective, moving a company’s entire infrastructure to the cloud will always be more expensive than a similar environment setup locally.  However, many companies need the mobility, disaster recovery and other aspects that cloud services offer.  How can a company get the best of both worlds?  Enter “hybrid” clouds.  Hybrid cloud services are a combination and coordination of private and public clouds as well as internal IT infrastructure. The team at Gravity Systems feels that during 2015 and early 2016, hybrid services will be in demand. Businesses will prefer using a single environment, which will be a combination of multiple clouds that can be used as one coordinated network to meet business needs.  There will be a push for a unified approach towards cloud and in-house services.

Mobile cloud computing will dominate in 2015

Mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets are powerful because of the cloud systems with which they interact.  And it’s no question that mobile devices are getting more and more popular.  Access to data and applications on the go is no longer a requirement restricted to power users.  Folks working from home, field technicians, and sales people are all able to enjoy greater productivity through receiving emails on their smart phones or accessing their CRM (customer relationship management) programs on their tablets.

Cloud services will become more and more flexible in 2015. Users will be able to access more and more application via the cloud from anywhere. Apart from offering them convenience, mobile cloud services will help users improve their productivity.  

Hacking cases will see a rise

Unfortunately, many of the benefits and conveniences of cloud computing also make the systems more vulnerable targets to hackers and malicious actors.  Conventional local networks with office-based servers and workstations have physical, hardware, and software security layers in place to protect a company’s sensitive data.  In the cloud, your applications and data are widely available on the Internet.  In many cases, the only protection in place is a username and password.  Critical or sensitive systems can have their security hardened through different means such as two-factor login or other authentication and encryption methods.  It’s paramount to follow industry best practices when it comes to securing your data in the cloud.  This also includes educating your employees on the best practices for accessing the applications and using strong passwords.

The team at Gravity Systems is confident that these trends will dominate the information technology industry in 2015 and the foreseeable future.  We are ready to walk you through the benefits, costs, and best means for your organization to take advantage of the cloud.  If you are interested in our cloud services, get in touch with us for an initial, free consultation.