The predictions about 2019 and 2020 cloud computing are starting to come out, and I don’t see anything that isn’t already obvious.
Predictions like the “growth of cloud services” and “security will be more important” are so obvious that only those in an induced coma would not see them coming. Geez guys, you’re better than that.
It would be helpful to have one designated know-it-all who works on the bleeding edge of cloud computing every day who’s not afraid to predict what’s around the next bend in the road. The good news is that I’m not too shy to take on that role. So, here are three cloud trends that will have a profound effect on the cloud community in 2019, although most in the cloud industry don’t seem to see them coming.
1. Cloud complexity becomes a big bummer
As an industry, we spent years and millions of dollars getting workloads on the cloud. A very complex distributed architecture is the result.
Why? For the most part, the on-premises stuff will not go away, at least not for now. So you must manage applications and data across on-premises as well as multiple clouds. Moreover, you must provide systemic security services across all systems, as well as comprehensive monitoring and management. In other words, you need to make new technology work seamlessly with old technology. Better get on that!
2. The overcertification of cloud people
Don’t get me wrong: Cloud provider certifications are important to determine who has basic skills. However, it’s now being taken to a silly extreme.
We all are likely to have a huge certification hangover next year, as the many of those certified prove to be worthless at real-world cloud work. Knowing how to memorize and take tests does not mean you can understand the changing nature of cloud.
I would rather hire someone who can keep up with the quickly changing nature of cloud computing rather than people who are good at keeping a bunch of information stuffed into their heads for a short period of time.
You have to find a happy medium.
3. Automation becomes mandatory
Most organizations that understand how to manage the cloud do so using automation. These are preset processes that are kicked off per predefined policies.
The days you can really do the cloud without this technology have just came to an end. If it hasn’t happened already, you will cross the tipping point of about 200 cloud-based systems in 2019. At that point, automation and related tools are the only way to track that many systems and maintain good management practices.