2016 Outlook: Cloud will Move to Next Level in terms of App Containerization

What does 2016 hold for cloud computing as a technology?

Over the last one and a half years, we have witnessed a definite shift in the mindset of enterprises in India with regard to the cloud. Enterprises now understand the difference between virtualization and cloud, and the pros and cons of each.

Today, our clients are keener on understanding the key considerations to leverage the cloud’s benefits to the fullest and how to evaluate between the numerous cloud solutions and service providers. Many of our clients are considering the cloud as the de facto platform for infrastructure deployment. This trend is expected to grow next year as we expect more and more business critical production workloads to move to the cloud. Along with cloud infrastructure services (IaaS), we also see more traction in terms of mainstream adoption of cloud platform based services (PaaS).

How will 2016 define the future of the cloud, including public, private and hybrid cloud?

We see a definite increase in the adoption of public cloud next year, some of the key reasons being improved are business agility, service reliability and availability, cost reductions through elimination of capital expenditure, and shift to an operational expenditure model. Private cloud adoption will be primarily driven by large enterprise, and it is mainly due to the high initial investments involved.

What kind of developments can we expect in the cloud space in 2016?

Enterprises today need to focus more on getting the right architectural and design aspects when implementing cloud, which can help them leverage the benefits of the cloud to the fullest. More and more such discussions are expected to happen in the near future.

Additionally, we expect the cloud to move to the next level in terms of application containerization, infrastructure automation for agile delivery and driving internet of things. Application program interface (APIs) and PaaS will gain more adoption as micro-services start to trend.

How are enterprise customers looking at cloud, as a technology?

Cloud as a technology is being increasingly looked upon as the building block or the base for building a digital enterprise. It will provide on-demand computing power and scalability in terms of storage, as enterprises are embracing advanced technologies and new business models to drive real-time customer experience, optimize business operations, foster innovation and ensure employee engagement.

Where will be adoption curve for cloud be in 2016?

We expect cloud to become the default choice for mobility services, disaster recovery, archival and non-production workloads. With major cloud service providers expanding their footprints in India, we believe more and more business critical production workloads will move to the cloud.