The
Future Of the Cloud

In this episode of The Future Of, Lori MacVittie, Distinguished Engineer at F5, joins Jeff Dance to delve into the future of cloud computing, specifically, the benefits of the technology, the current state of the cloud, and how businesses can create more value from the cloud in the future.

Lori has an impressive track record of over sixteen years of service at F5, where she has progressed through various roles, including Senior Technical Marketing Manager, Senior Product Manager, Emerging Technologies, Principal Technical Evangelist, and ultimately to the position of Principal Technical Evangelist.

With a career spanning over three decades in the tech industry, Lori has extensive experience in application development, IT architecture, and network and systems operation. Her expertise in these areas has led to numerous achievements, including co-authoring the CADD profile for ANSI NCITS 320-1998 and contributing to several books on cloud security. She is also the author of books on application security and XAML.

Cloud computing involves using remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data. It’s essentially like renting a computer and its processing power from a provider instead of owning and maintaining it yourself. Multi-cloud refers to using multiple public cloud providers, such as Amazon and Google, to distribute workloads and reduce the risk of vendor lock-in. In addition to public clouds, hybrid cloud or hybrid IT also incorporates private clouds hosted on-premises.

Serverless computing, on the other hand, allows developers to deploy small units of code or functions to the cloud without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. This is because the cloud provider takes care of managing the servers and resources needed to run the functions and charges the user only for the actual usage of these resources.

The edge refers to a type of cloud infrastructure located closer to the end user, typically at the edge of the network. This can improve performance and reduce latency for certain applications, such as those that require real-time data processing, monitoring, or support for IoT devices. Edge computing can also provide additional security benefits by processing data locally and reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the Internet.

The initial version of the cloud, known as Cloud 1.0, consisted of a server, basic networking, and storage capabilities. Cloud 2.0 marked a significant milestone as IaaS vendors began providing distinct services to customers. In contrast, Cloud 3.0 builds upon this foundation by transforming the cloud into a platform, providing developers with various services to integrate into their applications.

Currently, over 90% of computer workloads are executed in the cloud, and for good reason. The cloud outperforms other options not only in terms of cost and agility but also in scale, reach, and business continuity. Thanks to its global reach, the cloud can facilitate the expansion of businesses into new markets, both within the US and beyond, providing customers with the seamless experience they desire. The cloud’s scalability is unmatched, making it the fastest way to grow your business.

One of the most significant benefits of using the cloud is its ability to ensure business continuity. By building a secondary data center in any location worldwide, you can guarantee the availability of your services in the event of an outage or disruption. Moreover, with speed being a critical competitive advantage in today’s technology-driven world, the cloud offers unbeatable agility and responsiveness, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the competition.

Cloud computing has seen some significant developments recently. One of the most notable is the rapid development of AI. Given the vast amounts of data and computing power required to develop AI, it is no surprise that cloud providers are at the forefront of supporting these efforts. As a result, businesses and individuals are turning to the cloud to access the resources needed for AI development.

Another key development in cloud computing is the ongoing infrastructure renaissance aimed at making cloud-based technologies run faster and more efficiently. Cloud providers are investing in the latest technologies to improve their infrastructure and optimize their services. This has resulted in faster, more reliable, and more cost-effective cloud solutions, which are essential for businesses of all sizes.