2012 was a big year for the Cloud. Whether it was businesses finally making the leap skyward, and reaping all the benefits that come from access-anywhere data, secure back up and all new ways to interactively engage with customers, or whether it was in the home, with Chromebooks, cloud based laptops, and various cloud storage solutions becoming increasingly popular, it’s been a Cloudy year all round, and we’re all the better for it! And so, as we canter on into 2013, what lies ahead for the future of computing? Here’re a few predictions outlining what we’ll see from the Cloud this fine year!

Bigger, Better
Data is on the cards to expand in the Cloud this year, and already we’re seeing usage increases creep up huge spikes on the chart, whilst the onus is then on providers to deliver the right amount of space and the right amount of computing power to be able to contend with an inevitably increased demand. The competitive advantage of the Cloud is becoming palpable to businesses all over the world, and those that are already a fully, congruently cloud-based company will be looking to move things up a notch. That in mind, the drive will be on bigger spaces, less implementation time and a more streamlined business experience.

The Storage Sound
Cloud storage has been on the up throughout 2012; and of course, its progress is included in the area outlined by the previous paragraph – this year, everything will be bigger and better. So much so, in fact, that companies will finally begin using online storage to harness its full potential advantage in their field. Whether that’s the availability of their data, heightened security measures or an aspect involved with Cloud computing, operating complicated software and hardware from remote locations, there’s a whole new infrastructure, combining on-site and cloud environments that could become the core focus of many businesses over the course of 2013, and this will be made possible by a drop in cost and an increased availability of cloud storage.

Cloud Mentality
They call it the data revolution. Essentially, this is IT department’s removing barriers and borders and constructing IT environments with the Cloud in mind, encouraging the work-anywhere paradigm that means that accessing that data will be an immediate process, streamlined and easy no matter where you are. As opposed to systems merely altered and optimized for cloud-usage, we’ll see them designed around the parameters of the latest cloud technology, which indicates a shift toward a new realm of productivity for employees, especially when coupled with BYOD,  and a step toward the deskless office of the future.

Solid State Drives and New Physical Technology
As Cloud computing further cements itself within the core aspects of businesses, we’ll see the latest hardware used in the servers and machines that keep everything going. SSD’s are slowly becoming the standard, certainly for use in conjunction with standard disk drives, however as they are incomparably efficient, fast and bullet proof, power, time and the necessity to replace equipment will all be significantly reduced factors of the 2013 business.

The Times They Are A-Changing
It’s going to be a big year for change; we’re essentially caught in the middle of the Cloud’s boom, and that means that cogs are still being tightened and businesses are still joining the revolution for the first time. Whilst that means that creases are still being ironed, there’s no doubt about it, Cloud computing isn’t going anywhere, and as its reach increases, as innovation in the field boosts the technology further still, we’ll inevitably be one step closer to the completely mobile work environment that the Cloud perpetuates in 2013.

This article was written by Rob Vicars on behalf of Giacom, providing effective and modern cloud based Hosted Exchange solutions for your business!