Cloud computing is gradually becoming more popular, enabling better access to data on multiple platforms and taking the constraints of hardware maintenance and upgrade cycles out of the hands of businesses. Cloud adoption grew faster in 2011 than ever before, but it’s important to consider what developments and changes may occur in 2012. The future is bright, but does it lie with cloud computing?
One major cloud trend that is likely to break big in 2012 is mobile access to cloud services. The proliferation of smart phones and tablets with high-speed access to the internet will make it much easier for business people to access their files on the cloud when they are out and about.
In addition, desktop emulation is coming from cloud-gaming service OnLive. This will essentially allow iPad owners to have a full Windows desktop on their tablet, complete with all of the programs and functionality that this entails. This could be the perfect workaround for people who are tired of the lack of Flash support on Apple’s tablet, or for those who want to carry out processor-intensive tasks which could not be smoothly achieved on a portable device.
According to InformationWeek, it is necessary to convince smaller businesses and organizations that 2012 is the year to migrate their data-storage services to the cloud. This is because the cloud arguably works best when handling a relatively compact data set.
Big corporations with significant data requirements and concerns about security and synchronization on a large scale might rightly be reluctant to adopt cloud platforms outright. However, the digitization of information that might otherwise be lost or misfiled in the relatively low-output world of small business can greatly improve productivity without any of these downsides.
Interestingly, some cloud-industry experts believe that physical hardware will start to play a more important role in the development of the market in 2012. The layers of visualization which blur the lines between the box that sits on your desk and the software that emulates the operation of multiple different machines can complicate matters and obscure which aspect is playing the bigger role. However, the box is arguably just as important as its support systems because it can be immediately accessed. It is the final piece of the puzzle which brings the world of the cloud to the end user, so should not be neglected but cherished.
2012 could be the year in which the cloud finally gets its own system of brokerage. You will be able to determine which providers offer the best deals, with middle men working out the ways in which buyers and sellers can communicate and do business without the inevitable complexity. There is still a lack of cohesion in the cloud because of its multiple forms and functions as well as the institutions which control it. However, companies such as Cloudability are already working to streamline the process of acquiring cloud services and actually paying for them. More of this is expected to be seen in 2012.
For businesses looking to adopt the cloud this year, the driving forces will be a combination of scalability as they look to growth in the future and disaster recovery as they try to ensure continuity of business and avoid costly downtime. In previous years, the lower cost of cloud computing and its convenience have acted as motivating factors behind adoption. But as the cloud evolves, so too will these facets.
This early in the year, predictions surrounding cloud computing are necessarily vague as the history books have yet to be written on development in 2012. But the key feature is growth, growth and more growth.
This article was written by Daisy Group plc, who are leading providers of cloud computing and managed hosting solutions to business customers across the UK. Daisy has three uk data centres from which they provide a full range of hosting solutions to SME, corporate and enterprise customers.
TweetTags: cloud, cloud computing, cloud hosting, cloud hosting company, Data Center, data centre, hosting, hosting with a clound