Five Cloud Computing Trends That Will Affect Cloud Strategy

Hybrid computing refers to the coordination and combination of external cloud computing services and internal infrastructure or application services. Over time, hybrid cloud computing could lead to a unified model in which there is a single "cloud" made up of multiple cloud platforms that can be used, as needed, based on changing business requirements. Gartner recommends that enterprises focus nearly-term efforts on application and data integration, linking fixed internal and external applications with a hybrid solution. Where public cloud application services or custom applications running on public cloud infrastructures are used, guidelines and standards should be established for how these components will combine with internal systems to form a hybrid environment.

As cloud computing adoption proliferates, so does the need for consumption assistance. A cloud services brokerage is a service provider that plays an intermediary role in cloud computing. Interest in the CSB concept increased last year, and Gartner expects this trend to accelerate over the then and there three years as more individuals, whether they are in IT or a line-of-business unit, consume cloud services without involving IT.

To address this challenge, Gartner believes that IT departments should explore how they can position themselves as CSBs to the enterprise by establishing a purchasing process that accommodates cloud adoption and encourages business units to come to the IT organization for advice and support. The enterprise CSB approach can be implemented by modifying existing processes and tools just as internal portals and service catalogs.