2020 is well on its way to providing us with cloud computing’s emerging trends, new operation methods, and above all, expanding its popularity to entirely new markets. I, for one, am very excited to see how 5G cellular will impact cloud computing, as well as Big Cable’s 10G dreams; with the already massive success of cloud computing, the new speeds and capacities of these networks are sure to skyrocket cloud computing’s abilities to levels we have only dreamed. Combining cloud technologies and 5G cellular can provide substantial increases in functionality, flexibility, and capacity, allowing carriers to offer competitive services that other providers cannot. However, Cloud’s transition to 5G has several speed bumps in the road to success.

While 5G’s integration into cloud technologies can provide significantly more function and capacity to the IoT (Internet of Things), it will be quite expensive for a network to transform into a 5G system. Additionally, with the United States’ new net neutrality regulations, what would be the point of spending a fortune on a faster system if some networks deliberately slow speeds for competing networks?

Currently, Cloud storage is an effective storage medium. It offers high availability and large storage amounts at a price that can be much cheaper than onsite storage devices. Due to not needing to purchase, power, and cool storage devices, Cloud storage is a desirable technology. Cloud storage is one of the reasons that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world. As businesses are frantically trying to convert to the Cloud, in the future, using cloud storage will be as normal as using the Internet. Corporations such as Amazon and Google have many more resources than any IT departments have at a company, making Cloud computing very attractive. There are several versions of the Cloud, and in the future, multi-cloud and hybrid-clouds will rule supreme. Due to numerous organizations offering different versions of Cloud storage, utilizing multiple Clouds will become the norm. While data can still be stored onsite, Cloud storage will allow a company to move workloads seamlessly; this technology will continue to grow and become more advanced as technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) are merged with it.

While cloud computing’s popularity is indeed growing, I believe that many companies’ hardware budgets will not change for some time. The percentage of IT budgets regarding hardware will rise next year, even with cloud services implementation. I believe desktop computers will still reign supreme in the workplace, mainly due to their durability and ease of upgrading. As cloud technology continues to expand and become more inexpensive, I believe eventually, we will see pretty much everything that can be hosted on the Cloud become so. Instead of having physical hardware at each desk, one might only have a monitor, peripherals, and access to the Internet; this will take some time, though.

The only thing I see on the horizon that can make cloud computing obsolete is quantum computing. Quantum computing has recently gained traction as new advances have made this once science-fiction technology science fact. Quantum memory programs are intended to enable quantum networks and computation by working with both short and long-distance communications. Researchers in Paris at Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (LKB) has just increased the efficiency of optical qubit storage from 30% to 70% (Gohd, 2018). Quantum computing’s advancement strengthens the chances of creating actual quantum networks. Quantum networks would work by transferring data in a photonic qubit to a cloud of cooled cesium atoms using a laser. Quantum computing and memory would be a massive advancement in storage technology, as its data transfers would be virtually hack-proof and exponentially faster than conventional computers. While many computers use binary calculations of 1’s and 0’s, quantum computers can run a computation on all numbers at once.

References

Steinberg, Michael. (2017, June 05). “Why the Hybrid Cloud Model is the Best of Both Worlds.” Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.govloop.com/hybrid-cloud-model-best-worlds/.

Gohd, C. (2018, February 04). Quantum memory storage is more efficient and secure than ever. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://futurism.com/efficient-quantum-memory-storage-arrives.

Matchett, Mike. (n.d.). Future of data storage technology: Transformational trends for 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/opinion/Future-of-data-storage-technology-Transformational-trends-for-2018.