by Elad Rave, CEO of Teridion
The cloud is no longer a luxury for enterprises, it is a must have. With more complex applications entering the enterprise, like video streaming and larger file sharing, legacy connectivity solutions are no longer capable of handling such large workloads. With this in mind, 2016 will see major shifts in how the cloud is used in the networking space.
1. Hybrid cloud storage and disaster recovery go hand-in-hand
As data is evolving at unprecedented speeds, so too are the datacenters that need to support the developing data communication space. Hybrid cloud storage has helped alleviate some of the burden of differentiating data communication and storage. As more sensitive data travels even longer distances, the chances of something failing along the way increase. Trying to keep data from falling through the cracks requires a great deal of consideration – whether to turn to an on or off-premise solution, whether to increase bandwidth due to an increasingly mobile workforce, if you should consider different cloud storage options, what should occur if a natural disaster were to occur or theft and much more. In 2016, creating effective disaster recovery strategy will become a top priority for companies, but in order to do this, employees of all levels need to see backup as quick and painless, and not an additional task. The network must be ready, wherever, whenever.
2. Containers go mainstream
Containers have swept the cloud and application development market by storm in the past year as a way to segment different application operations, streamlining a lot of overhead. Containers are small and agile, which makes them ideal for scaling dynamic applications. However large enterprises have been hesitant to go all in as there have been a lack of expert personnel available, as well as security concerns. In 2016, we will see some of those security concerns alleviated as vendors integrate security into container technology, and with the uptick in popularity, we’ll see more experts in the space who can provide guidance on deployment methods. Companies will have the tools, and vendors will offer the feature sets and security required for increased use of containers in an ever-changing cloud environment.
3. Application developers are not limited by location or legacy architectures
In 2016, developers will finally be able to create applications and services as they want to instead of around the limitations of bandwidth and speed that the current Internet architecture holds. As these applications become more complex, network providers will be tasked with providing a stable, fast and reliable Internet to keep up, and we'll see the cloud utilized much more for that purpose. Big data analytics, also in the cloud, will be used to help determine optimal paths based on application requirements.
4. Bolstering the network with multiple clouds
As cloud-service-dependent business models continue to gain popularity, over the next year enterprises will begin to deploy networks across different cloud operators, just as they've done with compute, storage and virtualization. The cloud continues to mature, and as the demand for services spanning multiple clouds escalates, so will the solutions that make them easier to manage. With backend intelligence, administrators are able to gather granular performance data, either for compute, storage, networking or cost, that permits the management system to select the appropriate cloud operator based on service needs, as well as implementing true resiliency at the cloud layer.
5. SDN gets a reality check
SDNs will continue to see deployment in hyper-scale datacenters, DevOps and institutions with large networking teams. We see SDN flourishing in environments where there is control over infrastructure, devices entering and leaving and internal bandwidths, for example, an enterprise with a single carrier. But as the network becomes a messier space in the coming year, can an SDN network handle 10x the traffic in a short period of time? Other questions center on if an SDN deployment is really multi-vendor. How well does the SDN deployment align with an enterprise’s public or hybrid cloud strategy, and in many cases could it be made more or less relevant if the enterprise is making the shift? Enterprises need to be looking at the larger “Software-Defined Everything” picture as opposed to only SDN, as more begin to realize that hybrid alternatives aren’t for everyone.
About the Author
Elad Rave, a proven industry veteran and successful serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the technology sector, is CEO and co-founder of Teridion. Previously, he was the co-founder of several successful start up companies including Oxygen CG, TheServerExpress, Partenos and Elenexos Ltd. He is recognized as an architectural expert and for multiplatform integration design and implementation.
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