Cloud computing has profoundly altered the way we live — and the way businesses work. It evolved from a sci-fi buzzword to a critical technology for most businesses and individuals. We collected some cool facts about the Cloud and shared our view of how they are likely to evolve over the next few years.
1. How much data is currently stored in the Cloud?
In 2020, the cloud contained more than 40 zettabytes of information. This amount is projected to reach 100 zettabytes by 2025. To put this in context, a zettabyte consists of one billion terabytes, a number with nine zeroes, or a trillion gigabytes, a number with 12 zeroes. In the same year, total global data storage will exceed 200 zettabytes, with the cloud accounting for roughly half of it.
2. What is the largest Cloud Computing provider?
Amazon Web Services is the biggest cloud computing company in the world based on market share. A subsidiary of Amazon, AWS currently holds 32 percent of the market, followed by Microsoft Azure at 20% and Google Cloud at 7% as of 2022. However, the most substantial share of the cloud computing market in 2022 actually falls to the "Other providers" category, with AWS coming in second with the next largest percentage.
3. What is the primary purpose of the Cloud?
The most common uses of the cloud are data storage and communication, including e-mail and calendars, messaging and calling apps, business communications, etc. For example, in the EU in 2021, 79% of companies used cloud e-mail services, and 66% stored their data in the cloud. Additionally, cloud services are used to deploy test and development environments, host databases and backups, and support business processes.
4. What is the Largest Data Centre in the World?
The Citadel Campus is the largest data centre at about 7.2 million square feet of server space. Located in Tahoe Reno, Nevada, it hosts the data of some of the most important names in business, including eBay, Amazon, HP, Boeing, and Bloomberg. Switch, the company that owns the Citadel is globally recognized as a leader in data centre design and implementation, and also is well-known for running all its data centres on 100% renewable and green energy. The Citadel sources its power from a combination of solar and wind farms in Nevada.
5. Public, Private, or Hybrid?
The hybrid cloud is currently dominating the Cloud computing market. According to Statista, as of March 2022, 80 percent of enterprise respondents indicated that they have deployed a hybrid cloud in their organization. A quick reminder: a hybrid cloud is a type of cloud computing that combines on-premises infrastructure — or a private cloud — with a public cloud. Hybrid clouds allow data and apps to move between the two environments.
6. What percentage of businesses store sensitive data in the cloud?
According to the "Sensitive Data in the Cloud" report by Cloud Security Alliance, 89% of surveyed host sensitive data or workloads in the cloud. Among those, 67 percent host some sensitive data in the public cloud, and 45 percent host it in the private cloud.
7. How will the increased adoption of Cloud solutions impact the IT infrastructure market?
IDC statistics indicate an increase in spending on IT infrastructure involved in cloud environments (servers, systems for data storage and backup, dedicated network appliances) by 8.8% in 2021. The forecast for 2022 predicts a growth of 22% compared to 2021, to $90.2 billion. If the forecasts come true, it will be the highest annual growth rate since 2018.
8. How did the demand for Cloud computing professions change?
Cloud computing is quickly becoming an in-demand skill, with stats showing that vacancies have gone up by 42% between 2018 and 2021. Searches for the roles have also gone up by 50%.
9. What impact does artificial intelligence have on the cloud?
Over $58 billion was spent on AI in 2021, with this figure expected to skyrocket to $309.6 billion by 2026. Many cloud technologies today are built on machine learning, and many organizations and systems use it to automate various processes.
Do you feel excited about stepping into the world of Cloud computing? Then check out the EPAM educational programs in Cloud&DevOps direction aimed to help you in mastering Cloud basics.
