Internet of Everything Will Drive Compute and Storage Needs Up and Away: 2017 Prediction #3

2016 was a year of massive change for many IT departments, and at Digital Realty, we couldn’t be more excited for the changes that will continue to unfold this year. If you hadn’t noticed lately, we have embarked on a series of blog posts detailing our IT predictions for 2017.

One of the overarching themes that will touch almost every aspect of IT this year is the sheer proliferation of data associated with the rise of consumer and enterprise technologies that experts are calling the Internet of Everything.

Most observers will already be aware of the Internet of Things (IoT) phenomenon, if not in concept than in practice. And that’s because the concept has been discussed ad nauseam, while implementation lags significantly behind. Driving cars, for example: we all know about them, but do you know anyone who has taken a ride in one? The infrastructure needed to support these technologies is not quite there at scale, yet

Smart cities are another example of Internet of Everything projects that really need incredibly advanced data storage systems to exist at all. Smart cities work by collecting lots of information with a network of smart sensors, then developing policy based on that data, and implementing the changes to help residents live more safely and efficiently, and to help governments save money.

Then of course there’s society’s insatiable demand for mobile internet access, and an increasing appetite for high bandwidth content such as streaming video. Though it is a trend that is in full flow compared to consumer IoT and smart cities, it’s also a technology that is going to continue to escalate its needs in terms of cloud storage.

The fact is that the storage methods already in place are “bursting at the seams.” In 2017, more and more IT leaders will turn to flexible, scalable colocation solutions. They will partner with industry leaders that can facilitate valuable connections while reducing costs and enhancing interoperability. If one thing about the future is absolutely certain, it is we can expect that cloud storage demands will continue to go up and up.

Did you miss the our first 2 prediction for 2017? Don't worry, find them here:

Prediction #1 - Cloud Security
Prediction #2 - Sustainability will drive Cloud Adoption