Is cloud computing the mother of all innovation? 

The times when by the term “new technologies” we understood primarily the Internet are gone forever. From the moment we can get Mount Everest without logging out of Facebook, it’s hard to see the global network as anything new. Access to the Internet is currently one of the foundations of the functioning of developed societies and the world economy. The next generations of wireless technologies (5G and Wi-Fi6) only confirm this. So what really are the new technologies in the 21st century, and why could practically none of them function without cloud computing? 

A new age, a new resource

According to the report “Digital 2021″, in 2021 the world population amounted to over 7.8 billion people, with almost 60% of humanity already using the Internet (4.66 billion). The invention, which was originally intended to be a weapon in the event of World War III, has become a source of knowledge, entertainment and information on a massive scale. Currently, most of us cannot imagine being completely cut off from the Internet and, thanks to the fact that we are online all the time, we leave behind a lot of … data. This “digital garbage” that we have been abandoning in internet space for years has turned out to be a huge collection of information, and the virtual dump as a valuable resource. This quickly ushered in a new era – Big Data, i.e. a golden age for analysts. 

Data processing, and thus information processing, slowly began to sneaking into almost every segment of the market. Science, health care, banking, insurance, FinTech, telecommunications, public sector, industry, e-commerce, entertainment, gaming, marketing – in the 21st century, quick access to meticulously collected data has become what petroleum has proven to be for the last century. The beginnings, however, were not that easy and obvious, because recognizing the potential of data is one thing, but using it in practice is a completely different matter. The power of information lies in the possibility of collecting, processing and analysing them. The difficulty arises when huge data sets are functionally scattered over separate servers, without any integration, automation or implemented functions for the analysis of large volumes. This is mainly a mess, from which it is difficult to deduce anything meaningful. 

And at this point, all eyes turn to cloud computing. The possibilities of which open another door and begin what we actually call new technologies today. 

Keep in mind: Cloud computing not only opens your company to new technologies, but can also turn it into eco-business! Do you already know what Green Cloud is?

New technologies in the 21st century

The very term “new technologies” does not have an unambiguous definition. They are often defined as a time criterion: a new technology is one that has not been implemented and brought to life in the last five years. This is a fairly restrictive approach, as we would have to adopt the finite criterion, without analysing whether the introduced technology has already reached its upper limit of possibilities. Meanwhile, in the case of many solutions currently gaining in popularity, we assume that their true potential is still a question for the future.  

New technologies, that have a chance to continue to evolve in the coming years and to give rise to new innovations, include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI), 
• Machine Learning,
• Internet of Things (IoT), 
• Blockchain, 
• Advanced Robotics and RPA (Robotic Process Automation), 
• Virtual and augmented reality. 

The above-mentioned solutions will become the basis of such technological trends as: hyper automation, the internet of behaviour (behavioural internet), multi-experience, low-level programming, AI-based cybersecurity, autonomous systems, etc. What connects all these trends and technologies into one whole? Or rather, what technology underpins their foundations, and without which none of the above-mentioned concepts would have any right to exist? 

Cloud as the basis of innovation

We are used to seeing the cloud primarily as a tool supporting companies in increasing economic efficiency and enabling effective remote work. However, let’s stop for a moment and look at it differently – this is a constantly developed and modernized ecosystem that has been the starting environment for most technological innovations for years. The speed, flexibility and availability, characteristic of the public cloud, mean that the newly created IT technologies are sent directly to it. Without cloud computing, concepts such as blockchain or IoT did not exist. 

The cloud is also the basis of Data Fabric, sorting out the problem of massive data dispersion. Today’s enterprises need an architecture that will support access to data collected at various endpoints, as well as enable their intelligent selection and orchestration. This is the key to starting the valuable use of the collected information, for the purposes of artificial intelligence, as well as building, optimizing and automating business processes. With the help of the cloud, the Big Data era enters a new chapter, making data analysis easier, more accessible, faster, cheaper and more precise. 

All intelligent solutions (using AI) are based on the exploration of huge amounts of data. Without it, it is impossible to create appropriate patterns and correlations that are the basis of machine learning and thus, for example, the automation, optimization and robotization of business processes. Without the cloud, any such concept would be limited by an on-premise infrastructure – much less flexible, slower and not supporting data integration on the scale that cloud computing does. 

Business and cloud computing

Today, the cloud is the engine of the boldest ideas and visions which, thanks to its capabilities, come to life and transform into advanced technologies capable of changing the way today’s companies operate. In this way, the cloud not only accelerates the digital transformation of enterprises, but can also be the basis for changes in the business itself and a source of huge competitive advantages. 

Good to know: Cloud computing makes even the most advanced technologies easily become mass technologies, used by both private users and companies.

If you don’t want your business to lose out in the race where access to innovation is the main key to gaining a competitive advantage, don’t ignore its opportunities. You have a constantly expanding ecosystem at your fingertips, which today can be a gateway to digital transformation, expansion into new markets, reducing infrastructure expenses (or at least increasing investment returns) or a way to generate new sources of income.