Category Archives: Cloud Computing

By Amit Gupta, Founder and CEO, Rapyder Cloud Solutions

How has cloud computing technology helped enterprises in digital transformation?

Slow and steady do not always win the race. Time with cloud technology and experiments are long gone. Today, cloud technologies are becoming an integral part of human lives. Be it business, workforce or life of a man, cloud technologies touch our day-to-day routine one way or the other.

However, the slow adoption rate was given a big blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. Risk to human lives, lockdown and strict federal regulations enforced enterprises to focus on cloud tech a lot sooner than expected.

Now with each passing moment businesses work not only towards a smooth cloud tech adoption but also the transformation of traditional models.

The rise of cloud computing and digital transformation

The rise of the digital economy has increased the dependency on effective use of cloud technology to support ongoing business processes and gain a competitive edge.According to Forbes, around 83% of workloads will be hosted on the cloud by 2020. 74% of Tech CFOs believe cloud computing will be the biggest business driving force. 89% of enterprises plan to adopt or have already adopted digital transformation.

Another study by Forbes shows that executives consider digital transformation as an important survival methodology. An IDG study reveals that around 92% of executives consider digital transformation plans as an integral part of their firms business strategy.For any digital transformation to happen, it is imperative for the technology ecosystem to go hand in hand with the scope of digital transformation outlaid. In a multi cloud reality, all terms like IoT, cloud computing, the approaches taken all fall under the same umbrella terms.

CIOs are looking at getting away from legacy IT systems and achieving a hybrid cloud environment in a multi cloud environment in a more realistic way.

How is cloud computing technology helping businesses become agile?

Cloud technologies are the foundation stone of todays agile business world. A best-suited cloud tech not only speeds up the process, automates & improves business but also helps companies with increased

Flexibility Cost-saving Security Collaboration

Some of the newest cloud technology witnessing rapid inclusion are-

Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Big Data Analytics Internet of Things

However, these technologies require heavy computational power and storage space and setting up an in-house solution is not cost-effective. In these situations, cloud computing solution providers become life saviors.

Reasons why companies are pushing digital transformation

1. It enables enhanced customer experience.2. It reduces time to market.3. It is a faster way to push innovation.

Why choose the hybrid way

Despite several advantages, companies are not going 100% agile. The reason to blame is mistrust with new technologies, compliance and legacy systems.

Today, enterprises are moving away from an only public cloud model and adopting a mix of public plus private cloud to ensure data supremacy, cost optimization, fulfillment of regulatory obligations and security.

Hybrid not only provides assurances of a traditional setup but also presents opportunities for innovation through new cloud computing technologies. It makes product delivery & implementation faster with maximum efficiency and personalized customer service.

To meet the increasing need for a hybrid cloud setup, Cloud software moguls like Microsoft, Google and Amazon are launching solutions that allow businesses to manage both private and public cloud simultaneously.

Roadblocks in implementing cloud computing technology for digital transformation

Businesses need to consider the below-mentioned factors before incorporating a cloud solution in their digital strategy:

Data security Service Quality Pricing Performance Migration challenges over heritage systems IT compliance

Implementing a solution or choosing a cloud computing service provider that provides a solution for the above-mentioned challenges can be a game-changer.

Cloud is the new business strategy and with each passing day, it is becoming a mode to survive and thrive. In an era when success is measured by customer experience, a cloud-enabled digital transformation strategy is a must-have to businesses.

If you have an interesting article / experience / case study to share, please get in touch with us at [emailprotected]

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The role of cloud computing has never been more important - Express Computer

Massachusetts lawmakers are asking for the states Executive Office of Technology Services and Security to consider different cloud computing options as part of an effort to re-engineer the states information technology architecture.

The bill would set guidelines to reduce data, hardware and software redundancy, improve system interoperability and data accessibility and develop best practices in information technology for the state.

However, Dave Coscia, a research analyst in sponsor Rep. Angelo Puppolos office, explained that the bill is more of a directive on incorporating cloud computing and doesnt make any substantive mandates.

For example, Louisiana recently partnered with SAP to make its human resources functions cloud-based and data-driven. Indiana used federal funding, like the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, to reduce technical debt, move to a multi-cloud solution and create an identity and access management solution. And Washington state agencies are able to move to the cloud or continue utilizing the states data center due to recently enacted legislation.

Much of the reason we filed had to do with seeing the successes other states had with similar bills and the ways cloud computing has been successful in assisting residents in those states, Coscia said.

Wood explained the state has a multifaceted approach with options like a hybrid cloud system that allows the state to address technology demands based on business and operational needs.

Currently, the state uses a private and public cloud system. However, theres room to grow, he said, with the addition of SaaS products and reviewing new technology options based on businesses and agencies needs.

We dont throw everything up on the cloud, Wood said. When we get a request, we do due diligence on the government side to see what is needed and work with them to see what the best option is for them.

Its not so much about being cloud-first. Its more about being balanced and finding the right tech fit for business owners and the commonwealth, he added.

Katya Maruri is a staff writer for Government Technology. She has a bachelors degree in journalism and a masters degree in global strategic communications from Florida International University.

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Massachusetts Bill Asks State to Move Toward Cloud Options - Government Technology

Dublin, Dec. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market Research Report by Sensor Type, Model, Cloud Type, End-user, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market size was estimated at USD 4,365.98 million in 2020, is expected to reach USD 4,830.80 million in 2021, and projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.98% reaching USD 8,159.46 million by 2026.

Market Statistics

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2018 and 2019 are considered historical years, 2020 as the base year, 2021 as the estimated year, and years from 2022 to 2026 are considered the forecast period.

Market Segmentation & Coverage

This research report categorizes the Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Competitive Strategic Window

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.

FPNV Positioning Matrix

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Market Share Analysis

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.

Company Usability Profiles

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market, including Amazon Web Services, Inc., Cisco, Fujitsu, Honeywell International Inc., Ibm, Intel Corporation, Iron Mountain Incorporated, Irootech, LosantIOT, Inc., and Microsoft Corporation.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments

The report answers questions such as:1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market during the forecast period?3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market?

Key Topics Covered:

1. Preface

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Market Overview4.1. Introduction4.2. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

5. Market Dynamics5.1. Introduction5.2. Drivers5.2.1. Increased use of cloud computing platforms5.2.2. Technological advancements in semiconductor and electronic devices5.2.3. Support from governments of different countries for R&D activities related to IIoT5.3. Restraints5.3.1. High initial cost5.3.2. Lack of standardization in communication protocols5.4. Opportunities5.4.1. Reduction in the cost of connected devices5.4.2. Increase in number of data centers5.4.3. Requirement of innovative cross-domain expertise and collaborations for development of comprehensive systems and solutions5.5. Challenges5.5.1. Data security and privacy breaches

6. Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market, by Sensor Type6.1. Introduction6.2. Optical Sensors6.3. Pressure Sensors6.4. Proximity Sensor6.5. Temperature Sensors

7. Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market, by Model7.1. Introduction7.2. Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS)7.3. Platform As A Service (PaaS)7.4. Software As A Service (SaaS)

8. Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market, by Cloud Type8.1. Introduction8.2. Hybrid8.3. Private8.4. Public

9. Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market, by End-user9.1. Introduction9.2. Energy9.3. Healthcare9.4. Manufacturing9.5. Minning And Agriculture9.6. Oil And Gas9.7. Transportation

10. Americas Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market10.1. Introduction10.2. Argentina10.3. Brazil10.4. Canada10.5. Mexico10.6. United States

11. Asia-Pacific Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market11.1. Introduction11.2. Australia11.3. China11.4. India11.5. Indonesia11.6. Japan11.7. Malaysia11.8. Philippines11.9. Singapore11.10. South Korea11.11. Taiwan11.12. Thailand

12. Europe, Middle East & Africa Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Market12.1. Introduction12.2. France12.3. Germany12.4. Italy12.5. Netherlands12.6. Qatar12.7. Russia12.8. Saudi Arabia12.9. South Africa12.10. Spain12.11. United Arab Emirates12.12. United Kingdom

13. Competitive Landscape13.1. FPNV Positioning Matrix13.1.1. Quadrants13.1.2. Business Strategy13.1.3. Product Satisfaction13.2. Market Ranking Analysis13.3. Market Share Analysis, by Key Player13.4. Competitive Scenario13.4.1. Merger & Acquisition13.4.2. Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership13.4.3. New Product Launch & Enhancement13.4.4. Investment & Funding13.4.5. Award, Recognition, & Expansion

14. Company Usability Profiles14.1. Amazon Web Services, Inc.14.2. Cisco14.3. Fujitsu14.4. Honeywell International Inc.14.5. Ibm14.6. Intel Corporation14.7. Iron Mountain Incorporated14.8. Irootech14.9. LosantIOT, Inc.14.10. Microsoft Corporation

15. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c6t0oo

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Insights on the Cloud Computing in Industrial IOT Global Market to 2026 - GlobeNewswire

Indias Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have come a long way in the last few decades, having served as the backbone of our economy with 63M+ establishments providing employment to 120M+, driving half of Indias exports, and contributing close to 30% of Indias GDP. MSMEs have been among the worst sectors to have been impacted by the effects of lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic, forcing them to re-think their business models. Technology adoption driven by digital transformation, especially the choice of cloud-based solutions can be pivotal in re-energising this sector by helping them expand across customer segments and verticals while optimising costs and customising their products and services per their customers needs.

As businesses recalibrate to next normal, it is imperative for SMEs to move away from considering IT enablement as an afterthought. As part of the journey in embracing the right technology to scale business outcomes, cloud-based solutions deserve special focus. Cloud computing offers software, platforms, and infrastructure as a service with a pay-as-you-go model, thereby enabling SMEs to adopt world-class technologies at low cost of ownership.

Cloud is a catalyst to drive business agility and efficiency

SME uptake of digital technologies has improved significantly in the last 5 years (68% offline1 in 2016 to 37% non-users2 in Sept 2020). The cloud adoption landscape amongst MSMEs in India can be characterised as:

Key Growth Drivers

Widespread high-speed internet availability penetrating large swathes of India, coupled with shrinking data costs for more than five years have led many small business owners to actively consider digital adoption (e.g., digital payments/UPI, mobile wallets & internet banking). The next wave of opportunity lies in cloud computing, which typically are consumed as Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS compute, network and storage available in a rental model), or SaaS (software-as-a-service fully hosted applications available remotely over the internet).

Barriers to Scaling Adoption

The SME segment in Indias cloud market grapples with a unique combination of technical and business challenges, additionally exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. Per a NASSCOM Survey 2, hidden (and non-transparent) cloud costs (37%), vendors inability to offer custom services (33%) and employee resistance to digitization (29%) were the key barriers to scaling cloud adoption.

Adoption Accelerators for India Markets

Consistent with our experience, cloud and digital needs of SMEs are advocated and fulfilled largely via channel partners and IT resellers (60%) due to their extensive reach, with digital engagement channels also gaining mindshare. While there continues to be a need to educate the small and medium entrepreneurs on cloud strategy and hiring to address the skills gap, there is no substitute to a businesss trusted digital advisor who can handhold their journey towards cloud maturity. Channel partners help by nudging the business in exploring digital tools, SaaS while articulating their impact (tangible measures, however abstract work as great nudges).

Even though COVID-19 has disrupted SMEs, it has also opened new opportunities for them to adapt and transform through relevant digitization, of which cloud adoption has been a key ingredient. The SMEs who stay invested or dare to invest in public cloud offerings (IaaS/SaaS or bundled offers per examples above) will most certainly get to reinvent their businesses and make themselves more competitive and be future-ready.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Cloud adoption considerations and trends for small and medium businesses - The Times of India Blog

Spectrum Networks team Image Credit: Supplied Highlights

As MENA comes to grips with the cloud-transformation process, Spectrum Networks hopes to ease the transition by offering high-quality training in AWS cloud-computing technology, which is rapidly changing the way organizations especially businesses operate.

Spectrum Networks, a Dubai-based professional services and corporate training enterprise serving the MENA and Asia Pacific regions, has taken the lead in providing cutting-edge training as it pertains to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Platform. A thorough understanding of AWS has become vital to cloud adoption for organizations, Sanjeev Kumar, Managing Director of Spectrum Networks says.

Widely regarded as the worlds most expansive cloud platform, AWS features over 200 services. Millions of users all over the world have come to rely on the AWS Cloud to streamline their operations from individuals and SMEs to multinational companies and government agencies.

Cloud Transformation: Way of the Future

Cloud transformation has revolutionized the way organisations, especially businesses, operate. Essentially, cloud transformation is the process of transferring an organizations operations to the cloud Mr. Sanjeev Kumar explains giving access to a vast network of software and services only accessible online.

Making the Leap: The AWS Cloud Adoption Framework

Cloud-computing, however, requires novel techniques and technologies, such as DevOps, infrastructure-as-code, automated security, and compliance guardrails. This means that before organizations can make the leap, their IT personnel must be adequately upskilled. And thats where Spectrum Networks, an authorized AWS training partner, comes in.

AWS Cloud Skilling: The Starting Point

Spectrum Networks offers AWS training courses covering fundamentals, DevOps, SysOps, architecture, security, and more, delivered through instructor lead virtual and on-premises classes. These include hands-on lab exercises AWS Certification preparations. Special training offers are also developed for the SME sector as well as distributed via AWS marketplace.

Its the consultative approach to trainings, skill gap analysis, boot camps and fast track exam preparation workshops, world class labs and training and testing (authorized Pearson VUE testing center in UAE) facilities with handpicked pool of certified trainers that sets Spectrum Networks apart as a training partner.

Digitally Empowering Top-Tier Institutions

With its headquarters in Dubai and offices and training centers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, India and Singapore, Spectrum Networks has helped train more than 150,000 IT professionals in the MENA and Asia Pacific regions.

For more information, contactPournami Nair (VP Sales & Alliances) on 04 520 8600

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Dubai-based IT training company takes lead in upskilling on AWS cloud platform - Gulf News

Amazons cloud outage last week exposes how the cloud market functions as a digital feudal system with a few dominant players holding control over vast software resources

Amazons cloud service, Amazon Web Services (AWS), suffered a massive outage last week. The interruption affected a multitude of services like Netflix and Disneys streaming platforms. The issue related to an application programming interface (API), which is a set of protocols for building and integrating application software, affected Amazons own services like the Ring and Prime Video.

THE GIST

The hours-long disruption even hampered access to Slack, Trello and other Software as a Service (SaaS) tools hosted on AWS public cloud. These outages arent confined to AWS.

In November, Google Workplace, which is hosted on the search giants cloud infrastructure went offline for a few hours, affecting access to Gmail, chat and other tools for users in Europe. Earlier this year, an issue at Microsofts Azure Active Directory caused authentication problems, affecting a subset of its customers across many services, including Office, Teams, Xbox Live and the Azure Portal.

These outages cripple productivity and communication, and raises the question of sustainability as too many services are now hosted on the cloud, which exposes the vulnerability of the Internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms.

Cloud networks resemble feudal kingdoms more than ecosystems, said Sean OBrien, lecturer in cybersecurity at Yale Law School. Like feudalism, the cloud will be replaced by better models.

Cloud infrastructure has multiple parts, and each one is linked to another to form a single architecture that supports different digital operations.

Although people perceive a cloud environment to be virtual, the platform requires hardware equipment like switches, routers, storage arrays, backup devices, and servers. These components assist in abstracting a single machines resources, like computing, power, storage and memory, through a process called virtualisation.

This process pools all the resources together in a cloud. Then, using automation software and other tools, businesses access resources they need at any given point of time.

Most firms pool their virtual resources on a public cloud, which are mostly managed by large technology firms. And most public clouds are deployed as a heterogeneous mix of services that provide on-demand availability and accessibility.

But the existing system propagates concentration of network resources in the hands of a few large organisations. The industry has been pushing for more centralisation, instead of focusing on the edges of the Internet that hold incredible distributed computing power, OBrien noted.

The cloud ecosystem is currently dominated by AWS, Alibaba, Google, and Microsoft. According to research firm Gartner, AWS holds roughly 40% of the $64 billion global cloud infrastructure market, a larger share than Microsoft, Alibaba and Google, combined.

As a growing number of organisations pivot to a digital-first approach, the demand for cloud infrastructure is trending up. The overall cloud spending is predicted to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9%, according to the research firm IDC.

During the pandemic, Amazon has grown significantly by reinvesting a huge chunk of that revenue back into its cloud service. The e-commerce firms dominance in the retail market and its close ties with governments has netted huge rewards, and all that money feeds the growth of AWS to the detriment of rivals, OBrien noted.

But this domination could end as the cloud-based feudal systems can be replaced by better operating models using blockchain technology, advancements in cryptography, and clever consensus models for distributed decision-making. All of the elements exist to rethink currently-centralised applications and move toward a truly decentralised or federated model for services, OBrien said. This change makes cloud computing look foolish if we truly value the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of data.

Some experts suggest Kubernetes as a way to minimise risk as it isolates and compartmentalises network resources for better security and fault-tolerance. But, while they allow system and network admins to better deploy and manage resources, they do not remove the problem of hegemony. Clever planning goes out the window if AWS has a general outage across AWS, or even in one of its regions or availability zones, and your organisation relies upon those AWS resources for critical applications, OBrien said.

Another possible way organisations can prepare for such outages is by taking a step towards interoperability and spreading out risk across multiple cloud platforms. But this could lead to massive inefficiencies, complexities, and task redundancies as the same application will be deployed across different cloud environments. So, the solution lies in the time-tested decentralised peer-to-peer models that have proven successful at moving massive amounts of data quickly and efficiently while remaining largely tolerant to attacks and outages. Organisations serious about eliminating dependency upon third-party intermediaries like AWS need to rethink their infrastructure and network topology. Our current Internet model relies upon large cloud providers to do the heavy lifting for nearly every application, and this has resulted in predictable, concentrated points of failure, OBrien added.

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The feudal cloud kingdom - The Hindu

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term that describes the increasingly sophisticated ecosystems of online, connected devices we share our world with. The slightly odd name refers to the fact that the first iteration of the internet was simply a network of connected computers. As the internet grew, phones, office equipment like printers and scanners, and industrial machinery were added to the internet. Today, just about any device we use in our homes, offices, factories, or simply wear on our bodies can be online and connected, hence the internet of "things."

The 5 Biggest Internet Of Things (IoT) Trends In 2022

IoT is a trend that is driving the ongoing digitization and datafication of society in many new and amazing ways. Self-driving cars, autonomous manufacturing robots, and remote medical devices that let doctors diagnose patients and even carry out surgery are all possible due to these networks of connected things. In fact, Ericsson predicts that by 2022, there will be around 29 billion of these devices connected to the internet globally. So lets take a look at what are likely to be some of the most important drivers and innovations in this field during 2022:

IoT in healthcare

With everything thats been going on in the world for the last two years, it isnt surprising that healthcare has been one of the most active areas of IoT development. Of course, its a broad use case covering everything from the use of cameras in public areas to monitor social distancing, fitness bands and trackers to monitor lifestyles and the increase in adoption of telemedicine and remote healthcare. Specialized medical equipment, including blood pressure and heart rate monitors, insulin pumps, wheelchairs, defibrillators, and oxygen pumps, are all frequently connected now, allowing them to collect data to help doctors understand conditions and patient lifestyles better, as well as work autonomously to improve user quality-of-life.

Healthcare IoT devices allow medical professionals to collect data on the condition of patients without the risks that come with bringing large numbers of potentially infectious people together in close proximity. Beyond pandemic response use cases, though, they also allow doctors to potentially examine, diagnose and treat larger numbers of patients, as well as expand healthcare to regions where physical access to doctors or hospitals is difficult due to remoteness or difficulty of access.

Security

THe huge growth in the number of devices connected to the internet inevitably means there is an ever-increasing number of ways our technology can be hacked or exploited by those with bad intentions towards us. The number and size of cyber-attacks are increasing every year security researchers at Kaspersky say there were 1.5 billion attacks against IoT devices during the first half of 2021 - and during 2022, it's certain we will see this trend accelerate. IoT devices provide access points to our personal networks because they are often not as secure as devices that are traditionally used to store sensitive data, such as computers or smartphones. Another threat vector comes from the fact that because the IoT is made up of things- sometimes very small, light things those things can sometimes be lost or stolen, requiring an additional layer of security to protect against unauthorized users who have gained physical possession of your devices. Things are starting to change, though, with signs that manufacturers are tidying up their act when it comes to shipping devices with default passwords, and consumers are developing a better understanding of the risks. Common attacks involve attempting denial-of-service (DDOS) by overloading systems with connection requests, causing them to break and possibly expose data, or hijacking compute power from devices, which can be used to create botnets that attack other systems, or simply to mine cryptocurrencies. IoT isn't just a security threat, though by gathering data on network traffic and usage, connected devices provide fuel for algorithms that are used to predict and prevent cyber attacks.

Edge IoT

Edge computing and the IoT go hand-in-hand. Put simply; it means building devices with on-board analytics capabilities, so the computing is carried out as close as possible to the source of the data that's being analyzed. This really only makes sense in the context of cloud computing, where data is collected by essentially dumb sensors, such as basic cameras or microphones, and sent to the cloud to be analyzed. Edge devices use smart sensors such as cameras equipped with computer vision capabilities or microphones with natural language processing functions. The obvious advantage is that this means computation can take place much more quickly, and another advantage is that reducing the amount of data being transmitted to the cloud and back relieves network congestion. Yet another advantage becomes clear when we consider the privacy implications of widespread IoT if a device is collecting personal data, then users have the peace of mind of knowing that they can get at the insights it contains without it even having to leave their individual custody. A key driver here is the increasing amount of computer power becoming deliverable in ever smaller and more power-efficient devices, thanks to more efficient battery and user interface designs. In 2022, as more organizations continue to look towards hybrid cloud ecosystems to deliver IoT services to their customers, edge computing will become an increasingly important part of the solution when theres a requirement to deliver fast, secure insights.

IoT in Business and Industry

Sometimes referred to as the "industrial internet," the IoT has huge implications for the way we manufacture goods, provide services, sell to customers and follow up with support. Smart factories and logistics plants are increasingly automated, and the availability of robotics and IoT infrastructure as-a-service means more and more smaller companies will start to take advantage of the opportunities this offers in 2022. Building IoT automation into business models gives companies the ability to benefit from increased efficiency, gaining a data-driven understanding of their operations and processes. Wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets will increasingly be used for a number of use cases, including training, maintenance of equipment, and simulating processes via digital twin methodologies. In manufacturing operations, IoT technology includes sensors fitted to machinery in order to measure performance and enable predictive maintenance predicting where failures and breakdowns will happen before they occur in order to more efficiently replace and repair faulty equipment. IoT tools also cover the emerging field of additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, which will provide increasingly innovative ways to build and create products, and allow greater levels of customization and personalization, while also minimizing waste.

IoT for Resilient Organisations

Resilience is high on the agenda following the unprecedented disruption of the past two years, and IoT technology provides great opportunities to build more robust and disaster-resistant organizations. This encompasses more than just security (covered above) as it also includes provisions such as ensuring a business has the right skills for coping with widespread change such as the shift to home and remote working we saw in 2020 and 2021, as well as ensuring it doesnt lose out due to activity of competitors or markets.

Supply chain resilience can be bolstered through IoT, for example, by tracking the movement of inventory between a business, its suppliers, and its customers to anticipate where delays may occur and provide contingency in the face of global issues. Monitoring tools that track movements of staff around facilities and monitor the efficiency of workforces can be used to understand workplace churn and anticipate where shortages, or skills shortages, may mean a business is heading for problems. IoT solutions designed to help companies predict and react to disruption from many different sources will undoubtedly continue to be a source of major innovation throughout 2022 and beyond.

Read more about these and other future trends in my books, Business Trends in Practice: The 25+ Trends That are Redefining Organizations and Tech Trends In Practice: The 25 Technologies That Are Driving The 4th Industrial Revolution.

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The 5 Biggest Internet Of Things (IoT) Trends In 2022 - Forbes

The highly-automated Amazon Go store in Seattle, an example of how cloud technologies can bring new capabilities to retail at the edge. (Image: Amazon)

Data and devices are everywhere. And Amazon Web Services wants to extend its cloud to wherever that data resides.

At its annual re:Invent conference last week, AWS said it plans to extend its edge computing capabilities by adding 30 new Local Zones around the world, along with new ways to connect to the Internet of Billions of Things. Amazon Web Services rolled out new chips and servers, along with a sharper focus on industry-focused cloud services.

In a keynote address and blog post, Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels outlined Amazons vision for the everywhere cloud, bringing AWS to new locales through targeted hardware and solutions.

Weve already seen the cloud go practically everywhere, Vogels wrote. The shift well witness in 2022 is the cloud becoming highly specialized at the edges of the network. To fully realize the benefits of the cloud in workshops and warehouses, in restaurants and retail stores, or out in remote locations, there must be tailored solutions at the edge.

The AWS cloud operates in 25 geographic regions and 81 Availability Zones across the globe, with more than 310 points of presence to serve over 245 countries and territories, Vogels said.

But now, we are seeing cloud services that are pushing beyond the bounds of our traditional AWS Regions and out to the edges of the network, he said.

AWS Outposts and Local Zones are the key building blocks for Amazons edge computing strategy, and at reInvent the company illustrated how it came use these tools to create powerful business solutions that connect to the heart of the global financial system.

AWS Outposts are racks filled with turn-key AWS cloud infrastructure, which allow enterprises to deploy hybrid clouds in their on-premises data centers. Outposts will also drive Amazons push into edge computing through Local Zones, which are regional facilities filled with Outposts. AWS currently has Local Zones available in 13 North American markets, often housed in colocation facilities. Local Zones provide low-latency access to cloud services for services like video and graphics rendering.

At reInvent, AWS announced that NASDAQ will move its exchanges onto the AWS Cloud in a deal that illustrates how AWS can use its edge infrastructure products to target specific vertical markets.

Using the capabilities of AWS Outposts, we can now bring the edge directly into our primary data center in Carteret, New Jersey, creating the first ever capital markets Private Local Zone, said Adena Friedman, President and CEO of Nasdaq. Together, we will create a cloud center inside the Nasdaq footprint, which allows us to transition our U.S. markets into the cloud.

The solution addresses a challenge for security-conscious financial services firms, who have reservations about shifting workloads into cloud data centers. So instead, the AWS cloud is extending into Nasdaqs core network to deliver ultra-low-latency edge compute capabilities. Beginning in 2022, Nasdaq plans to migrate its North American markets to AWS in a phased approach, starting with Nasdaq MRX, a U.S. options market.

Our innovative new collaboration with AWS creates a bridge to the future for our markets and represents the next major step forward in Nasdaqs cloud journey, said Friedman.

AWS also introduced smaller form factors for its Outposts, making it easier to deploy the full stack of AWS services outside of traditional data centers, in locations like branch offices, retail stores, factories, health clinics and cell towers. The 1U and 2U servers will be available in the first quarter of 2022, and can be shipped to the user location and either mounted on a 19-inch rack or even positioned on a flat surface, AWS says.

What we will see in 2022, and even more so in the years to come, is the cloud accelerating beyond the traditional centralized infrastructure model and into unexpected environments where specialized technology is needed, said Vogels. The cloud will be in your car, your tea kettle, and your TV. The cloud will be in everything from trucks driving down the road, to the ships and planes that transport goods.

IoT expert Stacey Higginbotham said Vogels outlined a future of computing thats utterly distributed and tailor-made for the internet of things, yet still leaves Amazon in control.

Its clear the computing giant recognizes that computing happens outside of its own servers, Higginbotham wrote in her Stacey on IoT newsletter. Moreover, its executives have recognized that it needs to build services designed to help its customers bridge their local compute-ingesting sensor data back to the cloud, and do so in a manner thats both easy and secure.

Each year the re:Invent conference features a flood of new announcements. Here are some links to notable new services:

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The Everywhere Cloud: AWS Extends Its Reach to the Edge - Data Center Frontier

Cloud adoption is booming, with low-code and automation tools having proved extremely popular in the past two years.

Multi-cloud is increasingly winning favour among organizations looking to diversify their technology stacks and pick and choose cloud-computing services from different providers according to their needs.

Managing the Multicloud

It's easier than ever for enterprises to take a multicloud approach, as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform all share customers. Here's a look at the issues, vendors and tools involved in the management of multiple clouds.

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As businesses increasingly shift their infrastructures, employees will likewise require a broader range of technical skills.

SEE:Remote working jobs row shows how much tech has changed

Milind Govekar, chief of research at Gartner, says one of the biggest changes in the workforce will come as organizations lean harder into automation -- which he calls "the centrepiece" of cloud business strategies.

"Automation changes the entire mindset of the IT organization, particularly the infrastructure and operations organization, where they need to stop being administrators and become programmers -- completely different skillsets," Govekar tells ZDNet.

Automation has spiked in popularity in response to the digital skills gap and businesses' need to launch digital services quickly because of the pandemic.

Low-code and no-code tools, for example, have become a favourite among businesses that need to get products and services onto the cloud quickly. Gartner believes this popularity will continue, and predicts that the use of low-code and no-code tools will triple by 2025.

Low-code and no-code tools may prove to be useful assets for administrators juggling multi-cloud environments, but this doesn't necessarily equate to a downturn in the need for traditional software development and coding skills.

"More than ever there's a huge demand for software skills, especially to solve complex problems -- many of which cannot be solved singlehandedly by low-code tools," says Tracy Woo, senior analyst at Forrester.

Using low-code tools frees up experts on tech teams to focus on more advanced issues and services, says Woo: "This in turn means that skill sets required will focus on expertise or comfort with these tools along with overall comfort and experience with managing and handling cloud environments."

Increased automation as a result of cloud adoption may, however, lead to a reconfiguration of other roles and responsibilities. For instance, as routine tasks increasingly become automated, workers previously charged with administrative, monitoring or maintenance duties may be reskilled, or deployed elsewhere.

According to Pega's November 2021 Future of IT report, automation could also make it more difficult for managers to rise through the ranks. With so many tasks being automated or outsourced to the cloud, IT management as a competency will either disappear or become less relevant, it says. This was the opinion of more than 40% of the 750 IT leaders surveyed by the software company.

The upshot, says Pega, is more time to spend on creative work, while "changes to the nature of their work mean jobs will still feel easier and more streamlined."

The report adds: "Many different technology trends, including intelligent automation and data analytics, are fuelling a reduction in workload. Time saved will be used to make a bigger impact through strategic deployment of tech to solve business problems."

Non-IT employees will also require better knowledge of cloud tools, particularly as remote working becomes commonplace.

A recent report by Amazon Web Services (AWS) found that cloud dominated the list of key digital skills employers say will be most in-demand by 2025. And yet it found that just 45% of workers have trained or are training in cloud skills.

More advanced cloud skills will also be in high demand, such as the ability to move organizations from on-premises facilities to the cloud (cloud migration), as well as cloud architecture expertise. Just 16% and 15% of workers are trained in these areas respectively, AWS found.

"Applications are shifting from monolithic apps to multi-tiered line-of-business apps that use smaller units of code that developers can both scale and modify independently," says Woo.

"As a result, companies are looking for automation skills, familiarity with continuous integration and continuous delivery tooling, knowledge of infrastructure-as-code solutions, and those that can collaborate closely among the app developers and infrastructure teams, as each will need to lean on and learn from each other coding and infrastructure principles."

SEE:Digital transformation is changing what it means to work in tech

Govekar believes the biggest challenge for business leaders now is to anticipate the skills they will need in the future and the roles that will be key to the organization several months, or even years, down the line.

"Recruiters often talk about back filling roles. For cloud, you need to do forward filling," he says.

Forward filling means looking and recruiting for skills that you are going to need in the future.

This requirement is likely to present an exceptional recruitment challenge for companies who are already struggling to fill critical IT and tech roles, particularly as many business leaders appear reluctant to invest in upskilling their existing workforces.

"Very few organizations are putting aside money for that kind of training," Govekar adds. "Many organizations are finding it very difficult to understand what the balance is between doing [training] on the job, versus taking a more systematic approach.

"I was talking to another organization recently who said, 'The moment I upskill and train my person in AWS and Google or Azure, or anything else, they are [offered] more somewhere else -- I am literally training them up for someone to grab."

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Cloud computing is changing everything about IT skills. Here's what that means for your job - ZDNet

Hear from CIOs, CTOs, and other C-level and senior execs on data and AI strategies at the Future of Work Summit this January 12, 2022. Learn more

Amazon held its 10th re:Invent conference this week. The annual event, held this year in Las Vegas as well as online, reveals new technologies designed to support its Amazon Web Services (AWS) arm, one of the leading platforms for cloud computing.

The tech giants first AWS re:Invent in 2012 was a humble affair with only 6,000 attendees, dominated by startups and emerging technology partners. Fast-forward to 2021: Its now a well-attended conference for the industrys top IT execs and technical decision-makers.

The in-person event featured keynote speakers, announcements about its latest tech innovations, as well as training and certification opportunities.

Amazon revealed the latest it has to offer, but a few announcements took center stage. The following is a collective overview of VentureBeats coverage on the top news coming out of AWS re:Invent 2021.

AWSs CEO Adam Selipsky revealed news of accelerated chips, effortless machine learning models, fortified artificial intelligence, robotics technology, data lakes, and more.

were making it even easier to prepare and gather data for machine learning to train models faster and expand machine learning to an even broader audience, Selipsky said. Its really going to enable a whole new group of users to leverage their data and to use machine learning to create new business insights.

The announcements that followed Selipskys keynote would only prove to bolster that statement. AWS re:Invent 2021 largely focused on tools that are both bolstered to provide strong data and analytics infrastructures, and enhance efficiency for those using the many tools across the swath of Amazons cloud computing platform.

As the cloud computing industry is rapidly evolving, so is the demand for faster, more efficient developer-friendly tools. Cybersecurity threats and ransomware are rampant and growing. Against this backdrop, AWS announced automation for the management of vulnerabilities on its platform, to address vital security requirements in the cloud.

The sharp pivot to increased digitization for companies across industries, sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, has increased the use of cloud-native tech and platforms. In an interview, VentureBeat heard the concerns and perspectives from 10 startup companies regarding AWS security. A key takeaway: cloud securitys most notable advantages include lower cost and lower demand on resources than on-premises security.

Amid the rise in popularity of digital twin simulations, the company also announced IoT TwinMaker and IoT FleetWise for AWS. The tools are designed with user accessibility in mind: making it easier and more cost-effective to innovate. Its IoT TwinMaker allows developers to easily create digital twins of real-time systems such as factories, industrial equipment, product lines etc. The IoT FleetWise tool is specifically tailored for automakers to efficiently collect, transform, and transfer vehicle data in the cloud at a faster rate.

In addition, Amazon also announced its dabbling in the quantum computing arena with the announcement of AWSs cloud quantum offering known as Braket.

Bracket allows users to write quantum algorithms and lease time on quantum processors without a commitment. At re:Invent 2021, AWS shared that its Braket service can now run quantum algorithms as hybrid jobs. For now, theres no integration with many other tools, but as quantum computing grows in accessibility and popularity, this integration is likely to be announced at a future conference.

With such rapid growth both in size of its AWS re:Invent conferenceand in the tech featured at it on the past 10 years, looking ahead at the innovation the next 10 years will produce, AWS re:Invent in the year 2032 will undoubtedly pave the way for further transformation in the tech industry transformation that minds have yet to even consider possible.

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re:Invent recap: Amazon showcases cloud computing innovation - VentureBeat