
Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2016. Read them in this 8th Annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed by Bill Platt, Chief Architect at BMC Software
2016: the Tipping Point for Cloud Adoption
Going into 2015, many
predicted that the adoption of public cloud in the enterprise would slow due to
concerns about data security. Instead, public cloud adoption has increased
significantly as the public cloud has become more secure, reliable and easier
for distributed workforces to use.
At the same time, private
clouds have become cheaper and easier for IT to manage, but those advantages
have not proven to be enough to replace the convenience of using the public
cloud as security concerns become less of an issue.
As a result, many
enterprises have been experimenting in hybrid cloud strategies that leverage
the best features of both private and public clouds.
Our prediction for 2016 is that
clouds will reach a tipping point where enterprises move from dabbling in public
or private cloud solutions to broad
adoption of hybrid cloud strategies that drive new revenue streams and open
up new markets.
As cloud environments grow, compliance becomes a more important focus point in 2016. It's now
commonly known that most cyber-attacks target known vulnerabilities for which a
fix already exists but simply hasn't been properly applied. Knowing where those
vulnerabilities exist in your environment and remediating them can
significantly improve resiliency.
The key to getting people to follow IT processes
consistently is to make following the processes easier than going around them.
This comes from automation. When
users can access the cloud resources they need in a fast and cost effective way
while complying with internal requirements, they comply.
Analytics will
play a bigger role in enterprise cloud management strategies in 2016. IT can
use these platforms to help cloud users make better decisions to improve
application performance, determine when to scale up cloud resources or shift
application workloads from public to private clouds. Analytics can also can
help businesses detect buyer trends that can impact supply chain operations or
lead to new revenue streams.
Finally, consolidation
will inevitably increase. Over 50 vendors can currently claim to offer a cloud
management platform. Acquisitions, mergers and competition will condense the
field of viable players and create more opportunity to focus on innovation.
2016 looks to be an exciting year for the cloud!
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About the Author
Bill Platt is senior vice president and chief architect
for BMC Software. Platt is responsible for innovating and developing
technologies that evolve with the ever-changing digital enterprise.
Prior to joining BMC, Platt was general manager
for Amazon Web Services with an impressive 25-year career in IT,
including working in the software and cloud industries, the PaaS
industry, desktop virtualization, distributed computing, internet and
ecommerce, enterprise software, services and support.