By Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager, Middle East, NETSCOUT
Cloud services have become a vital tool in offering businesses flexibility and allowing them to enhance their operations. According to a recent report by IDC, an increasing number of businesses are adopting cloud technology, as well as investing significantly in artificial intelligence (AI); these investments are expected to reach $6.4 million by 2026. Cloud computing not only cuts costs on business data software, but it can also significantly build their cybersecurity posture to meet any mandated compliance requirements.
What will continue to drive cloud deployment forward this year, much like the past 12 months, is generative AI (GenAI) and large language models. They will remain the focus of discussions about how computer systems in the cloud are evolving. So, let’s check out what’s new in this whole system and how will it be shaped in the future.
Companies are expected to adopt multiple cloud infrastructures
With a wide range of cloud computing deployment models, organizations that are looking to stand out and gain a competitive advantage should consider adopting multi-cloud infrastructure. Indeed, 87% would stress that it would positively impact their business. This would be convenient to Middle Eastern companies that are looking to grow, making 76% of these companies increase their cloud budget, as reported by MEA Markets. This step is crucial in building strong multi-cloud infrastructures. But the question is, why are organizations doing that? Why are they adopting multiple clouds?
There are several reasons behind this. Organizations are always looking to enhance flexibility, innovation, and risk mitigation, and adopting multiple clouds can help them with that. Adopting multiple clouds can help organizations in optimizing their operations across multiple departments. For example, if one cloud provider faces disruption, the workflow can easily shift to another one, maintaining consistency and reducing disruption risks. This wide range of cloud services would allow businesses to modify their infrastructure. It’s important to have constant visibility during the entire process of adopting the cloud, as this helps in effectively handling workloads and data.
Cloud adoption in the Middle East region.
When we talk about businesses in the Middle East, cloud computing is crucial in helping them build and enhance their infrastructure, as well as adding creative elements to their operations to satisfy market demands. In addition to improving their cybersecurity posture, businesses benefit from the cloud service provider’s (CSP) storage of their data in several places. Having corporate data kept in numerous locations improves a company’s disaster recovery preparedness.
The Middle East edition of Strategy& and PwC has reported that 85% of companies have already adopted the cloud and started using it, while 32% of companies have applied the cloud to at least one of their departments. On the other hand, we can see that over 35% have applied it across multiple departments and that 18% have applied it throughout their entire business.
Safeguarding Data: The Hybrid Cloud Advantage
With the above data being mentioned – and with 72% of worldwide organizations already considering integrated hybrid cloud usage as part of their main strategies while they conduct business – it is important to consider the safety of sensitive data, especially given that cloud-powered companies in the Middle East region have seen a revenue increase of 88% over the past six to nine months, compared to 76% of non-cloud-powered firms.
There are public clouds and there are private clouds, but hybrid clouds are the ones that stand out. By combining the strengths of public and private clouds, they help businesses enhance their security, and flexibility, and make operations less costly for them. This enables them to hold sensitive data, as well as maintaining scalability and cost-effectiveness. This enhances workflow for these companies while also maintaining their security and contributing to the overall improvement of their businesses.
Public cloud becomes the new business norm.
“AI Everything” is expected to be the theme of the future in this region, especially when we look at tech events that have been conducted here, such as GITEX, where AI was the main focus. This trend would support the rise of cloud infrastructure, which helps in transitioning security and digital trust. This calls for investing in relevant skills.
When we talk about the utilization of public clouds, we find that 65% of organizations are using it heavily, and what they get in return is scalability, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness, helping them meet their demands and reach their goals. All of this can be done without the need to manage the physical infrastructure.
Cloud literacy training to gain traction
While cloud solutions are seeing significant growth, there are still some concerns about it. 78% of organizations complain about the lack of cloud specialists in the industry. The cloud infrastructure can be considered a whole world on its own, with lots of details and complexities. Cloud specialists also need several diverse skills to understand cloud environments, and the constant evolution of cloud technologies, which can be highly complex, is the main cause behind the lack of cloud specialists. However, to address this problem, organizations are constantly looking for ways and allocating resources to enhance their employees’ skills, especially in the cloud, by actively organizing specialized training programs to train their employees on that.
Zero Trust and Sovereign Clouds Reshape the Cloud Paradigm
Security is one of the main elements to prioritize when adopting cloud technology. A survey indicated that in terms of priorities, cloud security specialists in the Middle East have claimed that zero trust should be the main priority when companies think of adopting cloud technologies in the upcoming year.
Additionally, the ‘Future of Cloud Security in the Middle East‘ reports that 56% of regional cloud security experts are already implementing zero trust strategies, and 43% of them implement data and privacy best practices.
What about sustainability?
Nowadays, sustainability has become a big deal and has become a top priority for organizations, focusing on green technologies and strategies. Companies now think about the “Green Cloud” idea and applying sustainability to their businesses across all departments. Sustainability and responsibility are becoming the focus of this market, affecting companies’ marketing activities, since sustainability targets are now a major part of business goals. Therefore, companies need to prioritise sustainability when they start adopting the cloud.
In conclusion, cloud computing gives room for innovation, expansion, and business growth. As organizations look for ways that would build effective multi-cloud management, cloud adoption in the Middle East region is expected to rise in 2024, and with better momentum, given the increase in AI adoption and rise of cloud investments. These are two major facts that would contribute to the growth of the cloud.
