8 Trends in Cloud Computing & Big Data to Watch in 2016

Have you settled into the new year, or at least quit dating everything 2015? Good. That means it’s time to take a look at what this year has in store in the arenas of cloud computing and big data. Ready?

1. The Rise of Cloud Service Brokers

A cloud service broker acts as an intermediary between the business (you) and the cloud service provider. These professionals also offer additional services, including access management capabilities, according to Gartner, Inc. As more businesses turn to the cloud for their storage, application, and processing needs, expect cloud service brokers to become bigger players in the marketplace.

2. Applications Have to be Optimized for the Cloud

Whether the business is using private or public cloud services (or in most cases, a hybrid), applications will have to be optimized for the cloud or rebuilt to accommodate the cloud environment. This is especially true in businesses where mobile apps are a critical part of the IT environment, which includes most businesses now.

3. Enterprises Adopt the Cloud Model for Datacenters

Even in large enterprises that are building their own infrastructures in-house instead of turning to cloud service providers, the model established by cloud providers is bleeding into the enterprise datacenter. Look for datacenters to employ the same practices, procedures, and protocols used in large public cloud datacenters.

4. Containers Go Mainstream

The kinks are getting worked out of container technology, and it’s becoming more mainstream. Developers enjoy the flexibility and reliability of containers, and more vendors are offering container technologies, including VMware.

5. Training and Certifications Become More Important

As businesses settle on the platforms and tools they’re going to use in the age of SMAC, look for more companies to invest in employee training and certifications with the vendors they’ve opted to use for their cloud services, big data initiatives, mobile technologies, and infrastructures.

6. Spark Gathers Momentum

In the arena of big data, Spark is coming on strong. While Spark isn’t replacing Hadoop, exactly, businesses are learning the value of utilizing both Spark and Hadoop for their big data analytics needs. In situations where streaming is essential, Spark will soon become the go-to solution.

7. Machine Learning Matures

One of the strongest areas of growth for big data is in machine learning. Look for these technologies to become more commonplace as industries like manufacturing, healthcare, warehousing, and many others learn the value of machine learning and find new practical uses for this technology.

8. The IoT Experiences at Least One Major Hack Attack

The Internet of Things devices are wide open for hackers. While consumer devices generally are designed with security in mind, many of the industrial and business devices are not. Expect at least one savvy hacker to leverage a successful attack on a significant IoT device or platform.

Is your business ready for 2016? Find out more about what advancements in cloud computing and big data can do for your company. Bigstep can help. Learn more about us today.