When it comes to the public cloud, launching VMs, provisioning storage, and configuring networks is no more cutting edge. The core building blocks of IaaS have gone past the evolution phase to become stable. With enterprises adopting public cloud at a rapid pace, we cannot expect further disruption to the cloud infrastructure services. Mainstream providers will only add newer VM type, additional regions and zones, and optimized storage and network services.
With IaaS hitting a plateau, what will take public cloud to the next level?
Cloud providers have started to invest in the next set of technologies that will be delivered as managed services to customers.
Here is a list of six technologies that will redefine public cloud.
- Serverless Computing / Functions as a Service
Serverless computing delivers the real promise of PaaS – focusing on code instead of infrastructure. It enables developers to write modular functions that do one and only task at a time. By connecting multiple such functions, developers compose a meaningful, complex application. The best thing is that this architecture allows developers to pick a language, framework, and runtime of their choice instead of forcing them to use a particular platform. So, each developer participating in a project can choose best of the breed language to deliver his module.
Serverless computing and FaaS are moving fast to become the preferred way of running code in the cloud.
- Blockchain as a Service
Bitcoin may be dead, but the key technology behind that is alive and kicking only to make its debut in the public cloud. Blockchain is a cryptographic data structure to create a digital ledger of transactions shared across a distributed network of computers. Since it uses cryptography to manipulate the ledger, there is no need for a central authority. Transactions in Blockchain are immutable, which means once a transaction is made, it can never be modified. Each transaction is verified and authorized by all the parties involved in the transaction.
Blockchain has many use cases in the domains of finance, manufacturing, supply chain, healthcare, and real estate.
From a technology perspective, Blockchain represents a secure, distributed collection of storage and compute nodes participating in a private network. With massive investments in the infrastructure, public cloud providers are well-positioned to offer Blockchain as a Service.
- Cognitive Computing
Cognitive computing brings the possibility of adding eyes, ears, and brain to computers. It is all about making computers simulate the human thought process by applying emerging technologies such as natural language processing, neural networks, machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence.
There are multiple factors driving the trend of cognitive computing. Affordable hardware (cameras and sensors), ubiquitous connectivity, abundant storage and compute capacity turn cognitive computing into a service offered by cloud providers.
The heavy lifting required to process the input for cognitive computing is handled by the deep-pocketed cloud providers. They only expose simpler APIs for services such as vision, natural language, and pattern recognition that any developer can consume to build compelling interfaces for applications.
- Data Science as a Service
The data revolution in the cloud started with managed NoSQL and relational databases. Eventually, Hadoop and Big Data made it to the public cloud.
The data platform on public cloud offers everything from data ingestion to processing to transformation to analysis and visualization. The next big thing for data is machine learning, which enables organizations to tap into the power of data science to apply predictive analytics.
With organizations gaining confidence in moving data to the public cloud, cloud providers will be able to deliver end-to-end offerings that provide actionable insights to customers.
- Verticalized IoT PaaS
Internet of Things is another example of distributed computing frameworks. Organizations deploying IoT solutions need device management capabilities, data processing pipelines, predictive analytics, and business intelligence.
Mainstream cloud providers are well-positioned to exploit the IoT opportunity. They are already exposing device management, cloud-based M2M connectivity, and data processing capabilities.
Going forward, cloud providers will offer niche IoT platforms targeting automobile, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and consumer markets.
IoT will become the key enabler for Data Science as a Service.
- Containers as a Service
Though containers are already big in the cloud market, the technology is less than two years old. Enterprises are warming up to the phenomenon of using containers alongside VMs.
New categories such as container management, orchestration, security, logging, monitoring are evolving in this space. As microservices and containerized workloads become mainstream, they will dominate the public cloud deployments.
Containers as a Service is poised to become the fastest growing delivery model in the public cloud.
To summarize, the future of public cloud will be dictated by data-driven applications in the form of Blockchain and IoT. Containers, microservices, and Serverless computing will be exploited to deal with the deluge of data hitting the cloud.
