Now is the time when people typically start analyzing technologies and speculating about how they'll factor into the next year. Hybrid cloud innovation is highlighted here and could forever disrupt how companies operate.

The hybrid cloud model involves using a combination of private, on-premise cloud technology and third-party public cloud offerings. Many clients find that scenario caters to their needs, especially if their on-site infrastructure is insufficient and they don't want to relinquish all control to an outside party.

Market Analysts Predict Healthy Growth

People who have analyzed the hybrid cloud market anticipate rapid and substantial growth. More specifically, a report projects the market worth of the sector to total $138.63 billion by 2023, when the 2017 worth was less than $40 billion. The research also clarified that North America was the largest market. Companies that emphasize scalable and agile computing processes are helping spur the growth.

Google and Cisco Team up to Offer a Hybrid Cloud

Not long ago, Google and Cisco emerged as two of the frontrunners in the hybrid cloud sector when they announced plans in 2017 to pool their resources and offer a hybrid cloud partnership. Google announced that the service now has widespread availability. It allows customers to benefit from services provided by both Google and Cisco without making a complete transition to the public cloud.

However, making the most of this team effort will require both companies to continually listen to clients' needs and expand the offerings accordingly. Companies want assurance that selected hybrid cloud providers can improve as needed for future competitiveness.

Hybrid Clouds Are More Able to Meet Enterprise Needs Than Single Public Ones

Hybrid cloud innovations can gain momentum only when target markets are ready to support them. Fortunately for the providers offering them, a recent Nutanix study indicates favorable opinions of the hybrid cloud among enterprise clients. The research mentions an expected 20 percent increase in enterprises relying on both public and private clouds over a two-year period. It continued by positioning the hybrid cloud as responsible for most of the growth. Plus, 91 percent of the 2,300 respondents polled felt that the hybrid cloud represents the ideal IT model.

When asked whether their current cloud providers met their needs, 49 percent of hybrid cloud customers affirmed that they did. In contrast, that was the case with only 37 percent of people using single public clouds. Showing more evidence of growth, only 18 percent of respondents said they were using a hybrid cloud model, but 41 percent expect to within two years.

If hybrid cloud providers pay attention to these statistics, they'll realize that they must stay abreast of the newest offerings that will cater to both current and potential customers. Keeping on top of innovation allows companies to assert competitiveness as the market becomes increasingly crowded with brands ready to offer hybrid cloud technology.

IBM Acquires a Hybrid Cloud Company

One sign indicating innovation in a sector happens when some of the leading brands purchase companies to help them exert prowess with a particular technology. IBM recently did so with open-source hybrid cloud brand Red Hat. It acquired the company for a total enterprise value of approximately $34 billion, and IBM's CEO mentioned that the move would make the company the world's number one hybrid cloud provider.

For such an outcome to become apparent, both IBM and Red Hat must evaluate how their technologies are different from or could be improved upon what already exists in the hybrid cloud market. Since Red Hat is known for its hybrid cloud expertise, IBM's acquisition was notably strategic and future-oriented.

IBM - along with companies like Google and Amazon Web Services - incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the hybrid cloud to assist with content classification or product suggestions. Analysts expect an increase in corporate leaders combining AI and the hybrid cloud, especially while making decisions. Perhaps IBM will investigate how to make further progress with combining the two technologies.

Hybrid Cloud Security Is an Ongoing Concern

Companies that want to assert themselves as above-average hybrid cloud providers should focus on offering security tools. According to an Alcide survey, more than two-thirds of people polled plan to increase the number of tools used to secure their distributed cloud environments over the next year. Also, more than half still set security policies manually.

However, FireMon unveiled a visibility interface that allows detecting anomalies across on-premise and cloud environments. Depending on its success, users could become more proactive about recognizing vulnerabilities and taking action before problems result.

Successful Cloud Providers Must Continue to Innovate

This coverage details some recent developments in hybrid cloud computing, but you'll notice the most dominant providers continue to push the boundaries. Success requires offering new, effective technologies that meet customers' needs.

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