Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2013.  Read them in this VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed article by Lori MacVittie, senior technical marketing manager for F5 Networks  

Cloud computing and virtualization has been a popular subject for a number of years and 2013 will be no different. F5 predicts that the cloud will be impacted by a number of trends including the increase in conversations about SDN and renewed focus from vendors on cloud-based solutions. Here are the predictions for 2013:

• SDN will begin impacting the cloud: Organizations and providers will begin to adopt SDN-related protocols and frameworks. Inside the data center this will impact the server and network infrastructure foundation for applications and services. These organizations will discover the need for gateways at the perimeter of the data center that bridge traditional and virtual networks.
• Turn-key cloud brokers: Cloud brokers designed to address disparity with Identity and Access Management will emerge with a focus on specific SaaS providers. These brokers will enable IT organizations to retain control over authentication and authorization of off-premise cloud applications using SAML or other tokenized mechanisms. SaaS providers will begin to recognize the importance of enabling enterprise control over access and will begin to support the efforts of vendors to provide turn-key solutions more frequently.
• Focus on enterprise-class applications: As organizations complete migration of low-hanging fruit to the cloud, focus will turn to enterprise-class applications, which will renew interest and demand for architectural similarity in cloud computing environments. This will in turn drive demand for a variety of technologies, ranging from cloud gateways to interoperable cloud frameworks to enable consistency between disparate environments.
• Vendors continue turning to cloud-based solutions: The cloud continues to offer sales avenues for solution delivery. Organizations will continue to develop cloud-based solutions, rather than packaged applications that require access points within the data center, that allow the visibility necessary to enable functionality. One method of providing that visibility will begin to emerge in the form of a virtual "agent" deployed in the data center.

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About the Author

Lori MacVittie is the senior technical marketing manager for F5 Networks. With more than a decade of experience in managing enterprise architecture and ISV application development, her expertise in cloud computing and application delivery are second to none in the tech industry. Her unique perspective in bridging networking, security and application-layer solutions earned her a place on the top ten "Most Powerful Voices in Cloud and Security" list compiled by SYS-COM Media, which also named her to its list of "Top 50 Cloud Bloggers."

Prior to joining F5, MacVittie was the senior technology editor at Network Computing Magazine, where her extensive knowledge of programming and systems development enabled her to shape the then-emerging application delivery market. She holds a B.S. in Information and Computing Science from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and an M.S. in Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University.