Mobile Cloud Computing Goes Mainstream

In 2013, businesses will be hearing about the huge potential of the mobile cloud as smartphones, tablets and the cloud converge to grant workers greater flexibility. Juniper Research in a study found that the number of mobile cloud subscribers is expected to grow rapidly in the next years. The cloud-based mobile market will generate revenue of $9.5 billion in 2014. 2013 will see an ever increasing trend of people working from home, using their own devices. This will demand a more flexible approach from managers, HR and leadership, as well as the tools a company offers its at-home employees.

Cloud computing security will continue to be a concern for companies, whether they’re using a public, private or hybrid cloud. Cloud architectures are mainly developed to work without boundaries, yet data guidelines vary from country to country. Companies will need to secure data according to local data protections and global guidelines if their data center is located outside the country. Businesses will need modern cloud-based solutions that offer various security settings such as data encryption during data transfer, anti-virus or security scanners, as well as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technologies. Regular backups and disaster recovery plans should also be part of the security settings.

In 2013, the line between private and public clouds will blur as employees look for solutions that cater to personal and business needs. An increasing number of people will have a personal cloud carried on their mobile devices and an enterprise cloud that offers multiple options to store and access files. Companies will need to embrace this movement by supporting multiple devices on multiple platforms.

Easy-to-use, beautifully designed cloud applications will be key in 2013 as businesses look to drive employee engagement and collaboration. In an increasingly fast-paced global world, applications will need to leverage the way people want to work, spawning new ways of exploring, interacting and achieving a balance between looks and function. Distributed teams are common in most work places, so it is essential businesses have appropriate tools to allow for collaboration.

In 2013, companies will increasingly need to think and act globally while servicing partners, customers and employees locally. “Glocalizing” a business empowers people to operate effectively on every level. Businesses will need to use cloud solutions that ensure a flexible environment that is reflective of their geographic location.

There will be many reasons to consider location and borders in cloud computing in 2013 as how governments perceive those concepts vs. how networks run may be at odds. For instance, would the Patriot Act allow the U.S. government to consult the strategic data of a foreign company storing its data in a data center in Alaska? These types of issues that mix IT and geopolitics will increase in the near future. As a result, some governments are developing national clouds. Led by the French government, some Tier 1 French companies are creating a French cloud, named the Andromeda project.

As global traffic generated by cloud computing services will increase, the issue around energy efficiency of clouds will become a hot topic in 2013. Google alone reported that it operates 11 data centers in six states and five foreign countries that require some 260 megawatts of power, enough for 260,000 homes.

According to Sangatuck Technology’s Cloud Business Solution Survey, more than 75 percent of new enterprise IT spend will be cloud-based or hybrid by 2016. Companies will look for a cloud approach that allows them to orchestrate hybrid solutions that best fit their businesses. With the maturity of cloud computing, there will be a drive for the “best cloud deal” possible, with companies looking to configure a solution out of on-premises, outsourced and on-demand solutions.

Powerful cloud-based virtual marketplaces like the Ariba Network will continue to change the game for companies of all sizes and in all industries, creating a fully networked enterprise. The networked enterprise will create new growth opportunities for stagnating economies. When companies engage suppliers, partners, and customers in an open, cloud-based and transparent business network, competition—and growth—will thrive.

In 2013, social elements will be in the fabric of all solutions, not just tools on top of other applications. Vendors need to infuse social in all of its cloud solutions; cloud will become synonymous with collaboration.