Top 3 trends in public cloud technologies over the past 24 months
Driving innovation and maximising value
Public cloud technologies have evolved rapidly over the past 24 months due to increasing demand for scalable, cost-effective solutions.
Cloud adoption has become a strategic business necessity, driving operational improvements and innovation. Three major trends have emerged that are shaping the cloud landscape.
1. Optimising cloud spend
A significant trend in public cloud technology is the heightened focus on optimising expenditures. As businesses migrate to the cloud, many realise that mismanaged cloud usage can escalate costs, especially for those who adopted a “lift-and-shift” approach without adapting their infrastructure for cloud scalability and efficiency.
To address this, businesses leverage advanced cloud cost management tools, often powered by AI and automation, alongside FinOps (Financial Operations) frameworks. These solutions provide real-time insights into cloud usage, helping companies reduce inefficiencies and control costs.
However, the success of these initiatives depends on how the cloud was adopted initially. Funded ‘lift and shifts’ did the industry no favours, looking good on paper, but offered customers little to no future optimisation opportunities.
2. Embracing multi-cloud strategies
The rise of multi-cloud strategies has become a key trend as businesses intentionally adopt multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and address specific workload needs.
This approach allows businesses to leverage the best services from each provider for each specific workload, such as machine learning tools from one and data analytics from another, improving performance and flexibility while reducing reliance on any single provider.
However, managing a multi-cloud environment presents challenges, such as increased operational costs and complexity. To address this, organisations are turning to unified cloud management platforms to streamline governance and integrate disparate systems.
Success in this trend is predicted on a deep understanding of the workloads involved, a resolution to the ‘which cloud?” discussion and a push towards optimising applications to achieve application mobility.
3. Seeking more value from cloud investments
As cloud adoption matures, businesses are shifting from basic cloud migration to extracting maximum value from their investments. The goal is no longer just cost savings but also using the cloud as a platform for innovation and growth.
Key technologies driving this transformation include containers and serverless computing. Containers allow businesses to deploy applications faster, while serverless computing eliminates the need to manage infrastructure directly, providing greater scalability.
Additionally, businesses are leveraging AI and advanced analytics within cloud environments. Cloud providers now offer powerful AI and machine learning tools that help companies gain deeper insights, automate processes, and improve customer experiences. This allows companies to unlock new revenue streams and boost operational efficiency.
Many organisations are prioritising workforce development to fully realise the potential of cloud investments. Upskilling employees with cloud-native skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning are essential. This drastically changes the role of the Managed Service Provider as customers’ demands move from do-for to do-with.
As Head of Cloud at DCS (part of the Wavenet group), it is my job to map these evolutionary trends into our Solutions and Services, which we create for our customers. This year, we launched a new service called OnDemand, which I am intensely proud of. It is an innovation within the industry and represents a complete ground-up reimagination of Professional and Managed Service. Its flexibility and agility, both technically and commercially, enable our customers to maximise their investment in cloud. (Afterall, ITIL was invented in 1980, and Professional Services is over 100 years old!).
In the past 24 months, public cloud technologies have advanced significantly, emphasising optimised spending, multi-cloud strategies, and increased value from investments. These trends will continue to be vital in shaping organisations’ cloud journeys and driving innovation in the years to come.
Chris Talliss is the Head of Cloud at DCS (part of the Wavenet group), where he leads the strategic development and management of cloud technologies, driving innovation and efficiency across the organisation. With a wealth of experience in cloud computing, IT infrastructure and digital transformation, Chris has a proven track record of delivering scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions. His expertise spans cloud architecture, DevOps and data management. A passionate advocate for technology-driven business growth, Chris is committed to helping DCS leverage the full potential of cloud services to achieve its goals.