Thanks to the mass transition to hybrid or fully remote working models as of late, cloud computing’s popularity has skyrocketed. In fact, a recent study from VentureBeat reported that 69% of businesses attributed their successful pandemic recovery to cloud computing.

With cloud computing becoming more of a necessity than an accessory, software providers are working to offer more features and continue to level up cloud computing capabilities.

Let’s take a closer look at what innovations you can expect in cloud computing through the end of the year and beyond:

Artificial Intelligence

Cloud computing and artificial intelligence complement each other beautifully. AI can automate repetitive tasks in cloud software platforms and streamline an organization’s processes. It can also provide a deep dive into data analysis and trends without needing employee intervention, leaving them to attend to more critical projects. Conversely, cloud computing helps store, manage, and organize large amounts of data.

Artificial intelligence is the natural solution for society’s demand for more digital capabilities, and cloud computing allows organizations to meet those demands with strong processing power and considerable bandwidth. Plus, combining AI capabilities with cloud computing software comes at a more cost-effective price than starting with AI programs from scratch. This means that businesses of all sizes and capacities can have access to the same AI and cloud computing capabilities.

New Cloud Delivery Models

For a long time, organizations looking at cloud computing had to choose between two types of cloud environments – public and private servers. Public servers allow customers quicker access to needed data without jumping through too many hoops. Private servers, however, are the best way for companies to keep company and customer data safer with additional protections. Both have pros and cons, and in the past, it was tough to choose the best fit. Now, new delivery models are designed to give them the best of both worlds.

Hybrid delivery models mean organizations can have both public and private servers combining the strengths for a more personalized, flexible experience. Public servers are also often pay-as-you-go, which means they can be scaled depending on your organization’s needs. And at the same time, you can have the protections and monitoring abilities that, in the past, were generally only available for private servers.

Additionally, organizations can now take advantage of multi-cloud environments. In the past, an organization would be tasked with finding a single vendor that fit all of their needs. With a multi-cloud approach, they can work within several cloud applications to utilize features that best serve their process.

Serverless Cloud

This feature continues to become an industry-standard thanks to its time-saving capabilities. Serverless cloud computing takes away the stress of building the perfect cloud environment while having to manage servers. Instead, cloud providers take on the responsibility of monitoring, upkeeping, and scaling servers as needed, so developers don’t have to. This means your developers can spend more time creating cloud applications and building the right architecture for your personalized cloud environment without the added burden of server care.

You can expect to see this technology more and more throughout the year. Mordor Intelligence recently reported that demand for serverless computing is expected to increase by 22.6% between now and 2026.

Push Towards Sustainability

Today’s customers care about more than just an organization’s products and services. They want to know about a company’s values. If they align with their personal beliefs, they’ll be more likely to purchase something.

Customers consider an organization’s environmental impact as a significant factor. Last year, GreenPrint reported that 78% of people are more likely to invest in products marketed as being “environmentally friendly.” Keeping that in mind, only 20% of the energy used worldwide by data centers is renewable, according to an IT Analyst at Greenpeace. The other 80% of that energy continues to be powered by fossil fuels. This has a majorly negative impact on the environment and can leave a bad taste in the mouths of both current and potential customers.

Cloud computing is another way organizations can show their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and increasing sustainability. Localized servers require large amounts of energy to keep the servers running and keep their storage area temperature controlled. With cloud computing, companies can decrease their energy usage considerably. For example, the Microsoft Corporation and WSP Global Inc. found that cloud computing is 93% more energy efficient than traditional methods and lowers gas emissions by 98%.

Increased Cloud Security

The possibility of a data breach has been a top concern for businesses. Cyberattack numbers have been on the rise for years, with a sharp increase during the pandemic as digital criminals took advantage of a mass transition to remote working. Cloud computing became a lifeline resource for many organizations, and as they’ve adjusted and made themselves at home, hackers slipped into security blind spots.

In response, we’ve seen a boom in cloud security posture management solutions that significantly level up cybersecurity protections. These services allow organizations to rest easy, knowing their servers are regularly monitored for potential threats. Disaster recovery protocols have also become standard for cloud environments. In the event of a breach or hack, disaster recovery plans and assets can reduce the severity and loss of downtime for an organization, helping them get back to business sooner.

Considering the Cloud?

While it may feel daunting to switch from your current system over to a new method of storage and computing, the pros outweigh the cons by miles. With cloud computing, you can save time and energy by automating tasks and processes, expanding your data storage and management capabilities, leveraging all the helpful features of your favorite platforms, and more.

If the stress and uncertainty of migrating to a new cloud computing platform are holding you back, Ascend is here to help. Our experts can facilitate your cloud migration, ensuring it runs smoothly, quickly, and successfully. Contact us today to get started.