Cloud technologies are evolving quickly as further enterprises and companies transition at least some of their computing workloads into the cloud.
It is vital for the future success of your business that your cloud service provider is at the forefront of these developments and can help you benefit from them. They should also be able to assist you in planning the processing, security, and data storage capabilities you need as changes take place and the cloud environment has to enable your successful business.
Here is a brief look at some cloud tech trends worth watching:
Simplify the cloud with containers and microservices
Maturing quickly from a high-potential technology to almost ubiquitous adoption, containers can greatly simplify the lives of developers and business managers relying on the cloud. In cloud speak, containers isolate applications built for the cloud from specific cloud platforms and infrastructures.
They can run in any cloud environment, which makes it easier to share and reuse them. Containerization is highly standardised to make data and applications transferable and extend their usefulness. Containers, in turn, make it possible to run microservices – well-defined, circumscribed tasks.
Developers can easily build microservices, using their preferred programming tools, and businesses can run them in any cloud environment they like. They can be quickly deployed, scaled, or shut down when no longer needed.
Thus, companies benefit from the standardisation, efficiency, and economy of containers and microservices to keep their cloud environments controlled and in line with their goals.
Hybrid cloud
When companies understand that there is no need to move all their computing workloads into the cloud at the same time, they can determine which work best in the cloud and which should remain on-premise.
In many organisations, such relatively standard computing areas as HR, finance, sales, or distribution move to the cloud, while more specialised workloads often don’t. Modern cloud technology makes it easy to integrate the cloud with on-premise technology so that the user experience is seamless.
By a number of measures, annual growth in the hybrid cloud between 2015 and 2019 is said to outpace the IT market overall by close to 30 percent.
Microsoft Azure is known for its effectiveness and versatility in supporting hybrid cloud environments, which are quickly becoming the first choice of many businesses adopting the cloud. The modular architecture of Microsoft Dynamics 365, which lets you implement discrete workloads one at a time, is fully in sync with the hybrid cloud.
Hyper-convergenced cloud for all your capabilities
In the hyper-converged cloud, technology providers bundle computing, storage, networking, and virtualisation resources in a single, software-driven architecture. Hyper-converged cloud technology can be managed systematically, using just one set of tools. Nodes can be added to extend the functionality.
Hyper-converged cloud infrastructures save companies much of the work of implementing and integrating separate technologies and enable them to realise the benefits of the cloud sooner. Many companies are adopting hyper-convergence as the most efficient way to get their private, hybrid clouds running.
Staying secure in the cloud
As the public cloud matures and becomes ever more secure and reliable, any risk involved in running business-critical software in the cloud can easily be mitigated or is no longer an urgent consideration. As a result, many enterprise applications such as ERP, PLM, logistics, service management, or CRM systems run in the cloud, surrounded by the business intelligence resources that help companies analyse, understand, and report on the trends and impacts indicated in their data.
That momentum of enterprise software systems moving to the cloud includes Microsoft Dynamics 365, which offers advanced functionality familiar from ERP and CRM solutions on the Azure cloud platform.
Power BI, the Cortana Intelligence Suite, and other resources enhance the Dynamics 365 apps with transparency and insight. Industry and specialised solutions from Dynamics partners adapt Dynamics 365 for an almost limitless range of usage scenarios.
Facilitating effective, predictable transitions to the cloud and Dynamics 365, Columbus combines many years of business and technology expertise to help companies benefit from the best of modern ERP, CRM, business intelligence, and cloud technology.
When you work with us, you can today achieve a successful cloud deployment that positions you to thrive through the opportunities and challenges coming your way in the future.
To learn more and take the next step, take a look at our guide below. We cover all the steps and tools you'll need to elevate your company to the cloud.
