Over the past decade, a number of technologies have become commonplace, the ubiquity of smartphones and greater movement towards online payment solutions, but cloud technology underpins all of this. One could argue that 2010-2019 was the “Cloud” decade since it marked the time when the largest players entered the market, the increasing ease in managing cloud-based solutions and by 2020 the concept of the “digital imperative”.

By the start of the decade the three largest cloud providers, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft and Google had all entered the enterprise cloud market. In 2010 OpenStack, one of the most commonly used open-source cloud platforms also launched. These companies helped to set a benchmark in elasticity and provided the frameworks for companies to embed cloud solutions in their own business processes. Throughout the decade worldwide spending on public cloud solutions went from $77 billion in 2010 to a projected $411 billion projected at the close of 2020.

In 2014 the ‘AWS re:Invent’ conference marked the birth of serverless computing, with AWS announcing Lambda. Serverless computing revolutionised how companies purchased and implemented cloud technologies since it moved to a request based system, where companies paid by usage and cloud providers managed the servers along with the allocation of resources.

Further developments in 2014 saw multiple tools to help developers migrate software code between clouds, these tools are known as containers. They essentially allow developers to easily take code from one solution to another, thus increasing its workplace portability. This increased standardization paved the way for further developments in the field. By 2014 two of the most commonly used containers were launched, Docker and Kubernetes.

Alongside the expansion of cloud capabilities came the explosive growth of Software as a Service (SaaS), companies quickly recognized the benefits of their workforces being able to access their data with just an internet connection and some login details. While SaaS has its roots in the 2000s, it was not until the 2010s that it became the norm rather than a sub-culture of a few innovators and trendsetters. It grew from $5.56 billion in 2008 to a projected $157 billion industry in 2020.

All of this leads up to 2020, the year of the “digital imperative” where cloud technology was no longer a simple wish but a necessity. The digital imperative refers to the need for companies to move their services away from physical restrictions. In the past, language such as digital transformation or digital evolution was used, suggesting a slower shift. However, with the impacts of COVID-19 this year, businesses have had to adapt quickly to fully remote workforces and relying on cloud-based services over traditional infrastructure.

The need for flexibility has been paramount this year, with significant amounts of businesses shifting their staff to fully remote working, the developments of this decade has allowed for a greater resilience for companies. Without the benefits of cloud technology, 2020 would have been a much more precarious year without the ability for workforces to be able to dynamically relocate.

Overall the 2010s have been an instrumental decade for cloud technology, with the 2020s expected to hit even greater heights as innovators who can build off these successes enter the market, along with greater adoption among business.

If you need the staff to empower your cloud technology solutions, contact us today and find out how K2 can help to drive your digital transformation.

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