A recent Forrester Research report highlights the top 10 trends shaping the cloud industry in 2023. These trends include the competition sparked by AI dominance, the integration of AI into operations, the evolution of WebAssembly for application delivery, the growing importance of digital sovereignty, the shift to subscription models by IT hardware vendors, the emergence of FinOps as a crucial practice, the convergence of multi-cloud networking with Zero Trust Edge (ZTE), advancements in cloud security ecosystem, the role of Global System Integrators (GSIs) in driving industry clouds, and the transformative deals embraced by managed service providers.
A survey by Kyndryl found that while 65% of IT decision-makers rate their organization’s preparation for adverse events ahead of others, 92% confirmed experiencing adverse events in the past two years that compromised or disrupted IT systems. The most common issues were IT hardware failure, network failure, and malware. Lack of ability to recover systems and data from encrypted backups was identified as a top challenge, highlighting the need for automation and orchestration of recovery processes. It was also noted that ransomware attackers increasingly target backups, posing additional risks.
IoT Analytics released the results of their analysis of Q3 2023 earnings calls from over 4,000 US-listed firms. The key themes discussed by CEOs during this period were AI and Generative AI, AI chips, and sustainability. The report also highlighted declining topics such as ChatGPT and remote work. The analysis provides insights into CEOs’ evolving priorities and concerns in various industries.
Why do we care?
I love that analysis of CEO calls to get a sense of the buzz – and the coverage here has trended much the same way. There’s a lot in that Forrester report I haven’t seen broadly yet, but it’s undoubtedly helpful to predict the future. What are your customers buzzing about right now? If it’s in line with these trends, you’re on the right track. If not, it might be time to consider how you can align your services and products more closely with what the market—and your clients—demand.