7 Cloud Takeaways from 2016, and What They Mean for the Future
Earlier this month North Bridge and Wikibon released their sixth annual Future of Cloud Computing Survey, which compiles insights around the adoption, use, and challenges of cloud computing.
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According to the report, SaaS is used in nearly 7 out of 10 companies. Usage of SaaS is expected to stay constant over the next two years.
In 2016, respondents said that they expect to see ROI of their SaaS investments within 3 months.
While users will continue to select SaaS services, pressure is on service providers to show value, not in six months or a year, but in a single quarter.
Twenty-eight percent of companies are storing over half of their data in a public cloud. In two years, that number will climb to 46 percent. On the other hand, today 59 percent of companies are storing over half of their data in a private cloud; that number is expected to decrease 16 percent in two years.
Users are going to look to partners to help them decide which workloads should be moved to the public cloud as they spin down their private cloud investments. Be prepared to answer questions about compliance and security of public cloud.
Less than 30 percent of respondents said that their accounting, back office, and manufacturing functions are still not in the cloud.
If you offer cloud-based services in these areas then you may already know the opportunity, but if you’re looking to specialize or build out your cloud portfolio, these may be areas to explore.
While the biggest challenge of cloud adoption continues to be security (respondents had same answer in 2015 and 2016), vendor lock-in, and complexity pulled ahead of privacy and regulatory concerns this year. Vendor lock-in is a huge customer concern; 1 in 4 respondents are concerned about vendor lock-in or data portability when they switch cloud providers.
Hybrid cloud may help ease some customer concerns around security and vendor lock-in. Data migration and other services may be something to consider subsiding user fears of lock-in.
According to the report, areas like cloud analytics, cloud security, marketing technology and industry cloud will all grow in importance.
Security and analytics will grow in demand, so look to your services portfolio now to ensure you’ve got offerings to meet these needs.
Containers, and AI/machine learning are among areas where cloud investments will increase.
These specialized areas will offer more room for resellers as solutions become more complex.
While direct still dominates, indirect sales and VARs are up 3x over last year, the report says.
The findings indicate that go-to-market cloud models in the future will be online, direct to user, or increasingly, VAR (Value Added Reseller).
Don’t get left behind in the cloud. Consider these trends and where you fit in. The key is not to be an expert at everything – assess your own strengths and weaknesses and move quickly to meet opportunity. If you do, 2017 may just be your best year yet.
While direct still dominates, indirect sales and VARs are up 3x over last year, the report says.
The findings indicate that go-to-market cloud models in the future will be online, direct to user, or increasingly, VAR (Value Added Reseller).
Don’t get left behind in the cloud. Consider these trends and where you fit in. The key is not to be an expert at everything – assess your own strengths and weaknesses and move quickly to meet opportunity. If you do, 2017 may just be your best year yet.
Earlier this month North Bridge and Wikibon released their sixth annual Future of Cloud Computing Survey, which compiles insights around the adoption, use, and challenges of cloud computing.
This year’s edition of the survey received 1,351 responses, representing a 60/40 balance of user/vendor perspectives.
The responses touch on adoption of all types of cloud services, attitudes toward them, and future opportunities in the cloud. Click through the slideshow to learn more.
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