Trend Radar Cloud 2024/2025

Nobody can avoid the cloud anymore . There are an incredible number of services and offerings that promise efficiency and flexibility, especially in the business environment. However, the sheer endless possibilities are also the biggest problem with the cloud. In the course of cloud adoption, the central question of our customers was accordingly how they can make better use of the advantages of the cloud. In this blog post, we will therefore take a close look at the developments and trends for the cloud.

A look back at the cloud year 2024

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the ideal use of the cloud. Which services, billing models or infrastructures make the most sense depends on the individual company situation. Workshops to determine the maturity level were therefore the absolute core topic of the year for us.

The 3 top trends of 2024:

• Maturity assessment: Analysis and evaluation of the respective company situation to develop a suitable cloud adoption strategy.
• Cost management: In times of tight budgets, it was particularly important to establish cost-efficient cloud structures.
• Use of AI: At the same time, the infrastructure should be prepared for the use of artificial intelligence, in particular for Generative AI(GenAI).

This change challenged customers to make clever use of their resources and refine their cloud strategy. As a result, the topic of automation in the infrastructure also became increasingly important.

Seeing transformation as an opportunity

Overall, we had the impression that the cloud transformation is now viewed much more positively - and above all as an opportunity to improve the company's performance. As consultants, we were able to provide a lot of impetus with an independent view from the outside and break new ground together with our customers. Stumbling blocks that had to be removed included, for example, long-term commitments to certain SaaS providers, which limited flexibility in cloud use.

It is therefore not surprising that trends are emerging for the coming year that focus on increasing efficiency.

The 3 top trends for the year 2025:

• Automation and infrastructure as code (IaC): Automation of cloud infrastructure management through code rather than manual processes will continue to increase to increase efficiency and reduce errors.
• FinOps (Financial Operations): This practice combines systems, best practices and organizational culture to improve financial control over cloud spending. FinOps teams work to optimize costs by making consumption and costs transparent and building a bridge between finance, business and IT teams. 
• Containerization and Kubernetes: These technologies enable a more efficient use of resources by providing granular control over the deployment and scaling of applications. This can help to save costs by only using the resources that are really needed.

In summary, the aim is to simplify processes and focus on the essentials in order to achieve greater cost efficiency.    

Our conclusion

Looking at the economic and (geo-)political developments, rapid adaptability will also be required in the coming year. Companies must therefore create IT infrastructures that are as agile and flexible as possible in order to be able to react quickly to new issues. The use of subscription models will play an important role in this. You should therefore remain flexible overall and ready to adapt your cloud strategy to new requirements and technological developments. 

In terms of cost, we also recommend strong data management with clear data lifecycle policies to ensure that data is stored in the most cost-effective storage class. 

However, our most important insight is that the cloud must not become an end in itself! It is only ever the means to an end in order to achieve corporate goals faster and more effectively. A well-thought-out cloud journey is the key to success. Let's continue this journey together and feel free to contact us!