In this article, we discussed the meaning of cloud computing, the future, the evolving field. We also talked about the future trend.
Definition
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
The History of Cloud Computing
Before we move on to the potential of cloud computing future, let’s take a look at the history of how cloud computing services came into being.
Companies had been using Client Server Construction way before cloud computing was invented. In such platforms, the client’s control and data remained on the server side, and users needed to connect to this server in order to gain access.
This system had several disadvantages, and as a result, Distributed Computing came to the scene. In this case, all computers are grouped on a network, and users can share their resources when needed. Nevertheless, there were also several limits in this case, which eventually led to the development of cloud computing.
In the early 1960s, Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider, an American computer scientist and psychologist, invented cloud computing. In his research on the Advanced Research Project Agency Network (ARPANet), he provided an outline to cloud computing techniques that we know today as an enterprise to connect people and data from all around the globe.
However, the concept of cloud computing received very little gratitude during that time. It was in 1999 that Salesforce implemented the idea of offering cloud computing as an enterprise application. Hereafter, the cloud computing boom started.
Amazon launched Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2002, providing online computation and storage services. Additionally, in 2006, Amazon launched its Elastic Compute Cloud Commercial Service, which was open to the public.
The Evolving Field of Cloud Computing
To get an insight into the future of cloud technology, you need to know the innovations in this field which have contributed to its evolution. They are as follows:
Virtualization
Virtualization is a technology that enables users to at the same time create virtual symbols of networks, storage, servers, and other physical devices on a single device. It is a key technology that powers cloud computing and allows individuals/businesses to use hardware resources like a web application. This allays their need to make extensive investments in hardware and enables them to use their current resources with greater competence and flexibility.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 refers to the second generation of the World Wide Web. It is a big shift from the static HTML pages of yesteryears to the dynamic and interactive web pages of today. This brings to the table improved communications, interactivity, and collaboration through social media, blogging, web-based communities.
Service Orientation
Service orientation is one of the core situation models in cloud computing. It controls software components called services to develop systems and applications that are interoperable, low-cost, and evolvable. These services are programming language independent, reusable, and can perform a wide array of functions. Developers can even group numerous independent services to execute complex tasks.
Utility Computing
Utility computing is an on-demand service provisioning model that offers cloud resources like network, hardware, and software as per the client’s requirement. It is a subset of cloud computing that allows companies to scale up and down their resource usage as per their needs. Additionally, instead of a fixed rate, clients are charged as per their consumption of services.
Future of Cloud Computing
Today, almost every digital application is connected to the cloud in one way or the other. Companies are actively shifting their data to online platforms for security and improved manageableness. This allows the immediate running of multiple operating systems and employees to access data from any part of the world.
Moreover, thanks to the integration of cloud computing with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data, organizations can collect and analyse data from multiple sources like smart devices, medical equipment, homes, factories, etc. This enables them to make better decisions, making cloud computing platforms a go-to for several industries like healthcare, automotive, education, analytics, retail, etc.
Cloud Computing Future Trends
Here are some cloud computing future trends that you should consider in order to make an informed career choice:
Serverless Computing
Serverless computing alleviates the need for infrastructure management by developers. Cloud computing platforms cater to server provisioning, maintenance, and scaling, while the developers can solely focus on writing code. This significantly reduces the time taken by companies to release their apps in the market, along with reducing development costs.
Hybrid and multi-cloud
Companies nowadays are increasingly adopting hybrid and multi-cloud solutions. They include a combination of resources and services from multiple cloud providers like private clouds, public clouds, and ‘edge’ locations or on-premise infrastructure.
Edge Computing
Edge computing is a networking style that bridges the gap between enterprise applications and data sources like local edge servers and IoT devices. Usually, applications transmit data from smartphones and sensors to a centralized data center for processing.
Though, edge computing changes the game by bringing data processing capabilities closer to devices and users. This facilitates fast real-time insights, reduces bandwidth requirements, and enhances application performance.
Containerization and Microservices
Containerization and microservices architecture can bring significant efficiency and innovation in the world of cloud computing. Containerization involves packaging applications and their addictions into separate units called containers. They contain various components like the application’s code, libraries, system tools, runtime, etc., which ensure consistent performance across multiple environments.
Data Governance and Privacy
As an increasing number of organizations are opting for cloud-based services, the risk of privacy violations and data breaks are rising in cycle. Thus, governments around the world are actively implementing stringent data governance and privacy guidelines in order to safeguard customer data.
Conclusion
The future of cloud computing holds significant growth predictions for individuals and businesses alike. Nevertheless, to influence them, having the essential skills is a must. It will enable candidates to apply for high-paying, professional cloud jobs, and companies to leverage the benefits of cloud computing and take their business to the next level.