Cloud Predictions: What IT Professionals can Expect in 2024
The IT story of the past few years has been about leveraging the cloud to support remote teams and a modern workplace. Cloud still has a front row seat for 2024, but the story is more nuanced. Artificial intelligence (AI) wants to share center stage. Worldwide IT spending is predicted to reach over $5 trillion this year, with major investments going toward optimizing infrastructure, enhancing customer service, and increasing security. Continued focus will also be on efficiency and cost savings as IT teams weigh their increasing options.
Companies will Embrace Hybrid Cloud Models (for now)
The steady move away from on-premises platforms is driven by decreasing support from software providers and the desire for a higher level of security. Cloud platforms have also helped companies lower ongoing costs with better scalability and flexibility. Still, some companies have processes or systems that don’t translate easily to the cloud. As a result, many are still running a hybrid model.
This year, hybrid cloud models will likely continue as IT teams look to avoid disrupting entrenched systems and processes. But the trend will continue in the direction of the cloud. Many organizations don’t want to manage information and documents in separate environments because it can result in costly data silos and shadow IT. Hybrid scenarios can start to become a delicate balancing act, requiring additional resources to manage and support.
Artificial Intelligence will Improve Customer and IT Services
Artificial intelligence was the tech star of 2023, and it’s on a roll to continue changing industries and transforming how we work. Beyond its flashy presence in news and popular culture, AI is expected to significantly change customer and IT services. Thoughtfully implemented AI will reduce costs and streamline complex tasks to the delight of customers.
For example, AI can pull data from disparate systems and generate relevant customer communications, simplifying internal processes and helping customers in a way that’s more personalized. AI can also alleviate stress on IT teams. IT professionals are embracing AI that takes over mundane jobs and improves efficiency so they can focus on added-value strategic projects. AI is being used to quickly analyze data found in data lakes to uncover key insights. The resulting reports can be the source of information previously unavailable to the organization.
Rising Costs will Outweigh Customer Loyalty
With IT costs expected to increase in 2024, more companies are likely to question their loyalty to technology providers. Already companies are more willing to switch and migrate to different systems if they can save on long-term IT costs.
Users’ preferences are changing, too. While long-time employees are likely to prefer the one platform they’re familiar with, younger workers have become used to switching between systems depending on job requirements and personal preferences. Platform exclusivity may be waning in favor of more flexibility and cost concerns.
Consolidation and Governance will be Key as Multi-Cloud Strategies Increase
The number of large organizations with multi-cloud strategies is predicted to rise from 76% to 85% during 2024, taking advantage of multi-cloud’s lower costs and greater flexibility. However, multi-cloud strategies add complexity to data governance and integration with legacy systems.
One potential risk is shadow IT. When IT professionals don’t have a view into everything that’s happening in their system, this can lead to serious security implications. If not managed carefully, a multi-cloud strategy can have hidden costs for duplicate applications or licenses. IT teams should routinely check for problems that can impact security, costs, and efficiency. Consolidation to fewer cloud environments may be warranted.
Governance is also essential for multi-cloud strategies. A formal framework helps organizations ensure investments support business objectives and keeps systems optimized. Optimal governance balances security with the freedom for employees to customize their experience.
2024: A Year of Change and Transition
The cloud space will continue to evolve, and IT teams will always have to juggle resources with organizational demands. BitTitan helps IT teams and their service providers support a wide variety of strategies, whether that’s changing platforms, replacing legacy applications with SaaS, embracing AI solutions, or just doing a whole lot more in the cloud.
MigrationWiz is the tool IT teams rely on to migrate to the cloud and between cloud tenants. Contact us, or your preferred distributor today to learn more.
