Gartner Identifies Six Top Trends Shaping the Future of Cloud Adoption
Gartner has announced the top trends shaping the future of cloud
adoption over the next four years. These include cloud dissatisfaction,
AI/machine learning (ML), multicloud, sustainability, digital sovereignty and
industry solutions.
During the opening keynote of the Gartner IT Infrastructure,
Operations and Cloud Strategies Conference in Sydney yesterday, Joe Rogus,
Director, Advisory, Gartner, said, "These trends are accelerating the
shift in how cloud is transforming from a technology enabler to a business
disruptor and necessity for most organizations. Over the next few years, cloud
will continue to unlock new business models, competitive advantages and ways of
achieving business missions."
According to Gartner, the following six trends will shape the
future of cloud, ultimately resulting in new ways of working that are digital
in nature and transformative in impact:
Trend 1: Cloud Dissatisfaction
Cloud adoption continues to grow, but not all implementations succeed. Gartner
predicts 25 percent of organizations will have experienced significant
dissatisfaction with their cloud adoption by 2028, due to unrealistic
expectations, suboptimal implementation and/or uncontrolled costs.
To remain competitive, enterprises need a clear cloud strategy and effective
execution. Gartner research indicates that those that have successfully
addressed upfront strategic focus by 2029 will find their cloud dissatisfaction
will decrease.
Trend 2: AI/ML Demand Increases
Demand for AI/ML is set to surge, with hyperscalers positioned at the core of
this growth. They will drive a shift in how compute resources are allocated by
embedding foundational capabilities into their IT infrastructure, facilitating
partnerships with vendors and users, and leveraging real and synthetic data to
train AI models. Gartner predicts 50 percent of cloud compute resources will be
devoted to AI workloads by 2029, up from less than 10 percent today.
"This all points to a fivefold increase in AI-related cloud workloads by
2029," said Rogus. "Now is the time for organizations to assess
whether their data centers and cloud strategies are ready to handle this surge
in AI and ML demand. In many cases, they might need to bring AI to where the
data is to support this growth."
Trend 3: Multicloud and Cross Cloud
Many organizations that have adopted multicloud architecture find connecting to
and between providers a challenge. This lack of interoperability between
environments can slow cloud adoption, with Gartner predicting more than 50
percent of organizations will not get the expected results from their
multicloud implementations by 2029.
Gartner recommends identifying specific use cases and planning for distributed
apps and data in the organization that could benefit from a cross-cloud
deployment model. This enables workloads to operate collaboratively across
different cloud platforms, as well as different on-premises and colocation
facilities.
Trend 4: Industry Solutions
There is an upward trend toward industry-specific cloud platforms, with more
vendors offering solutions that address vertical business outcomes and help
scale digital initiatives. Over 50 percent of organizations will use industry
cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives by 2029, according to
Gartner.
Gartner recommends organizations approach industry cloud platforms as a
strategic way to add new capabilities to their broader IT portfolio, rather
than a total replacement. This allows organizations to avoid technical debt,
drive innovation and business value.
Trend 5: Digital Sovereignty
AI adoption, tightening privacy regulations and geopolitical tensions are
driving demand for sovereign cloud services. Organizations will be increasingly
required to protect data, infrastructure and critical workloads from control by
external jurisdictions and foreign government access. Gartner predicts over 50
percent of multinational organizations will have digital sovereign strategies
by 2029, up from less than 10 percent today.
"As organizations proactively align their cloud strategies to address
digital sovereignty requirements, there are already a wide range of offerings
that will support them," said Rogus. "However, it’s important they
understand exactly what their requirements are, so they can select the right
mix of solutions to safeguard their data and operational integrity."
Trend 6: Sustainability
Cloud providers and users are increasingly sharing responsibility for sustainable
IT infrastructure. This is being driven by regulators, investors and public
demand for greater alignment between technology investments and environmental
goals. As AI workloads demand more energy, organizations are also under
pressure to better understand, measure and manage the sustainability
implications of emerging cloud technologies.
Gartner research shows the percentage of global organizations prioritizing
sustainability as part of procurement will rise to over 50 percent by 2029. To
deliver greater value from cloud investments, organizations must look beyond
environmental impact alone and align their sustainability strategies with key
business outcomes.
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