CLOUD COMPUTING

Top Five Cloud Trends for 2012

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 01-06-12 | Comments

It�s clear that cloud computing will be a major technology in the coming years. But what aspects of the cloud will prove most important? Here are the top cloud trends we think you should keep your eye on.

As 2012 begins to settle in, many are wondering what might be in store this year for cloud computing. Cloud computing is becoming a standard at many organizations, and users are starting to seek more options in their cloud infrastructures. Here are five trends beyond standard infrastructure that we think will be key in the coming year.

Virtualization: Recent surveys indicate growing interest in virtualization technologies. Rather than adopting basic cloud infrastructure, companies will be more likely to utilize virtualization technology providers. Although virtualization, unlike cloud computing, requires significant initial costs, more companies are realizing the long-term monetary savings of the technology.

Hybrid Clouds: Hybrid clouds provide the security of private infrastructure with the performance and low costs of public options. In a recent blog, Loraine Lawson declared that the hybrid cloud �is the new black� and notes that major providers like Amazon are beginning to provide them. Hybrid clouds have been gaining popularity for several years, but 2012 promises to bring even more users than ever to them.

More Cloud Options: Although the cloud industry�especially the public side�is largely dominated by giants like IBM, Amazon and Google, smaller companies are now offering specialized and boutique services. Dynomesh and Zumasys are just some examples. As the market continues to open up, more options are sure to appear, and organizations will need to choose providers concentrating in their needs.

Cloud Applications: As cloud infrastructure becomes standard, users are seeking more complex application development in the cloud. According to the Wall Street Journal�s MarketWatch, adaptable and reliable applications both cut costs and improve security on the cloud. This year, applications are likely to become more common and to feature more capabilities.

Software as a Service (SaaS): Studies show that many organizations already employ SaaS providers, and numbers will only increase in 2012 as companies come to recognize the disadvantages of on-site software. As a result, companies are likely to make their SaaS options more secure and more customizable.

What cloud trends do you think will be most important in 2012? Feel free to discuss in our comments� section below.