3 Predictions for Cloud Computing
May 1, 2012
Speaking at the conference on Monday, IBM executives cited survey statistic both from IBM and other vendors demonstrating that, on average, 80 to 100 percent of enterprises plan to deploy a cloud in the next year to three years.
According to IBM’s vice president of marketing strategy, Scott Hebner: "I fully expect it to be adopted as quickly as the Web was… Maybe even quicker.:
Taking the stage during a panel on cloud computing, Hebner, along with IBM VP of software standards Angel Diaz, offered up theories on developments to come in the cloud computing space in the near future…
1. Distinction between "private" and "public" will go away within the year.
Asked if "private cloud" and "public cloud" are two distinctly different types of approaches, Hebner offered that the distinction between the two won’t matter for very long at all.
"I think as we march through time the distinction will go away and there will be ‘cloud.’ Just like the distinction between intranet and Internet… over time the distinction goes away," he said, adding that this will happen "in a year’s time."
Diaz agreed, noting that he hopes within five years the phrase "cloud computing" will disappear altogether in favor of "computing."
2. Cloud standards will accelerate adoption.
While the Web was about standardizing the front-end, said Hebner, cloud computing is about standardizing the back-end. The importance of standards, he said, "cannot be overemphasized."
Indeed, according to Diaz, achieving standardization is key to accelerating adoption of cloud. IBM has been at work in the standards department, he noted, as one of the founding partners of the Cloud Standards Customer Council (CSCC), which now has more than 300 members.
"I’ve worked with a lot of our clients on cloud implementation and the question of interoperability and vendor lock-in comes up in the first 10 minutes or 20 minutes of that dialogue," said Diaz. "It’s important for them to have freedom of choice."
3. Security will drive cloud adoption, not prevent it.
While security still stands today as the primary reason enterprises are fearful of deploying a cloud, Hebner predicted that it will soon be one of the main drivers of adoption instead.
"As more things become electronic and IT-based, there are more opportunities for vulnerabilities to emerge and be exploited. Security is the No. 1 concern businesses have," he said.
"I’d argue the best way to secure your enterprise is a move to the cloud. The cloud will significantly lower your threat posture."