Humans have been inventing technology almost consistently throughout history. We find ways to use these technologies to improve our lives. Most of these improvements have been incremental, but once in a while, a technology comes along that completely changes the way we live and the way we conduct our business. Think motor vehicles. Think electricity. Fittingly, we call these disruptive technologies. In the current digital landscape, we are witnessing one such transformative force- cloud computing.
What is cloud computing?
Imagine you head a tech firm. Your employees need innumerable tech resources to get you the results. But over time, you would see old employees leave and new employees join your firm. How are you going to manage the resource needs like software, licenses, etc.? Re-invest in new resources all the time? That would be difficult and expensive.
This is where cloud computing comes in. To understand cloud technology, it is easy to imagine it as a vast digital space with a range of data, applications, and services floating seamlessly. You can simply tap into the cloud to access these resources anytime and from anywhere.
What does it mean for the digital world?
Since the launch of the first commercial cloud in 2006, cloud computing has brought the following key benefits to the digital landscape:
- Boosted flexibility and accessibility of IT resources
- Improved security of companies’ IT resources
- Cut the cost of IT infrastructure
Coming to the Indian context, a recent report, ‘India’s Cloud and Data Revolution: From Adoption to Enabling Innovation’, from FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and EY, highlighted the following impacts of cloud technology:
- Accelerating innovation
- Modernizing data infrastructure
- Enhancing customer experience
- Opening up new revenue streams- eg: data monetization
- Enabling greater utilization of generative AI
- Cloud technology provides access to extensive datasets and powerful computing infrastructure- both of these are vital for tapping into generative AI’s potential.
- Cloud enables scalability and easy integration into existing applications.
- Cloud increases the availability of pre-trained models.
What the Future Holds for the Cloud
Going forth, here are some key trends to keep your eyes on:
- Edge computing- In conventional cloud technology, the data is stored in a centralized cloud, away from the client. This leads to latency- a problem that is addressed by edge computing. If the cloud is the hub, then the edge is the spoke. These ‘spokes’ store the data closer to the client- i.e. a decentralized approach.
- Cloud gaming- Here, users play video games hosted on the cloud. This reduces the need for traditional consoles and other dedicated hardware. In 2021, this industry saw $1.5 billion in revenues. This is expected to increase to $6.3 billion by 2024.
- Multi-cloud- It is a strategy where companies make use of multiple clouds- be it public or private stacks. An increasing number of firms are adopting it for its better yields. A related field of interest in the coming years is hybrid cloud. In short, India’s tech strategists are mixing and matching solutions to get the best out of cloud technology.
Cloud computing has cemented its position in the digital future. For instance, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that the cloud will house 50% of the world’s data (i.e. 100 Zettabytes) by 2025. This means that companies across the spectrum are adopting cloud technologies as part of their business strategies. This will trigger an increase in demand for cloud engineers and other professionals well-versed in cloud computing. Equipping yourself with strong domain basics and practical skills in cloud architecture is vital if you want to start a cloud career. KGiSL MicroCollege covers both these aspects and more in its professional career-readiness programs. Follow this link to know more.