The key word: immediacy. Cloud computing is radically changing the world we live in by providing immediacy. Organizations today can access their data immediately and real-time, allowing for instant analytical insights. Still, there are variations in cloud infrastructures. Today’s second-generation clouds now support new and emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) and real time analytics, that previous cloud platforms did not offer. These enhancements allow organizations to meet today’s organizational demands, for scale, efficiency, security, and agility. These tools will become more and more essential as time moves on. In fact, by 2025, Oracle expects to see more and more enterprises embrace a next-generation cloud model to achieve unprecedented degrees of automation. Here are 10 Cloud predictions on how today’s IT environment will change and grow as a result of enterprise computing.  

1. 90% of all manual IT operations and data management tasks will be completely automated, opening the door to a new era of IT innovation.

Previously, many technology professionals had to spend time with routine processes such as backing up, scaling, tuning, monitoring and ensuring security. However, the cloud has allowed autonomous databases to do these tasks instead, reducing the possibility of human error and freeing up time for technology professionals to focus on other things such as utilizing their data insights. They can use this extra time to continue developing their organization’s analytics, focus on innovation, find additional revenue streams, and explore other emerging technologies like AI and machine learning (ML).

1. There will be 600 times more sensitive data shared in the cloud.

Today, 70% of organizations keep their important data in the cloud in some hybrid format that allows for maximized flexibility and reduced cost. However, this approach can also open the organization up to possible risks due to inconsistent security policies and controls. As more and more sensitive data get stored in the cloud, there will be an increased need for security as the risk of automated external attacks and the misuse of authorized identity credentials rise. Additionally, as time continues, online attackers will become smarter, so it is imperative that companies continue to emphasize security and resilience in their systems to prevent any cyberattacks.

1. 100% of all enterprise applications will include some form of AI.

AI has become a rapidly growing technological area and has fundamentally changed how organizations obtain, manage and protect business data. AI has many benefits such as improved efficiency, better productivity and lower costs. By implementing AI in its applications, organizations can impact all parts of the business, from producing fast and reliable insights for managers and executives to streamlining operations and providing deeper insights into employees, consumers and markets. On top of that, adding machine learning will allow information systems to get smarter as they continue to operate, providing actionable insights to not only help businesses learn and move forward, but prosper.

1. 100% of supply chain apps will depend on augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, ML and IoT.

The growing use of smart and autonomous systems is causing radical shifts in organization systems, from design and logistics, to manufacturing and infrastructure. These changes include increased buyer expectations, reduced product lifecycles, new and changing regulations and oscillating demands. AI algorithms and systems have eliminated the need for human decision-making in itself. Virtual and augmented reality have produced interactive experiences for both employees and consumers. Blockchain solves numerous supply chain challenges by reducing counterfeiting and enhancing traceability across multiple suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and more. As these technologies continue to grow, they will become a more imperative and ingrained technology in every organizational system.

1. Automated business processes will enable more personalized interactions in HR, sales, and other business domains.

As AI and autonomous technologies continue to streamline business processes, they will also allow organizations to focus more time on meaningful and productive human interactions. AI can be useful in recruiting and hiring by identifying top candidates and creating chatbots to answer questions, allowing organizations to select and hire its top candidates. Similarly, in sales, AI systems will allow organizations to analyze and sort through large sets of data and identify the best leads to pursue. Additionally, AI’s self-learning capabilities will only further enable these AI processes to become more consistent and reliable as time continues on, providing instant insights that can help the company grow quickly and successfully.

1. 80% of major cities will use IoT for Smart City initiatives.

IoT technologies have allowed communities to become more human-centric and resilient. Machine learning technology can and will be used to gather and analyze valuable city data, increase city engagement, and allow for constant insight and changes that will benefit local communities. Not only will these technologies allow human agents to spend more time on personalized services, but they will also foster accountability and transparency from city leaders. The opportunities with these technologies are endless, from enhancing safety and transparency, to improving energy use and transportation methods. Overall, this will lead to more collaboration and trust between citizens and cities.

1. Data science will be increasingly automated and embedded into analytics and data-management systems.

Data science has been an emerging and growing industry as data has become more prevalent in today’s world and the demand for data scientists will only continue to grow as the industry does. Data scientists help sort through and analyze today’s large amounts of data to produce actionable insights that can be used to better the organization and its better processes, or better understand their consumers. As data technologies like AI and ML continue to grow, they will help streamline everyday tasks and thus increase efficiency and productivity. Data scientists will have more time to spend creating actionable insights rather than on collecting, preparing and sorting data, which will be a great time-saving benefit for organizations everywhere.

1. The rise of AI-based machines will create new jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

As AI becomes more integrated into organizational processes, it likely will begin to act as an employee in its own right. Thus, it will become imperative for organizational leaders to discuss how to promote collaboration between mechanical and human workers. For example, driverless vehicles in warehouses could learn to locate and store products without human help. While automation may help reduce the amount of manual, menial and repetitive tasks for individuals, it can also create many new opportunities and also present some new challenges. It will create thousands of new roles that haven’t been invented or previously could not be completed by a human, with great efficiency and productivity. Thus, organizations will have to be vigilant and collaborative moving forward with their integration of AI in their business processes. Still, AI will encourage a more prosperous economy, higher value work, and better quality of life.

1. Cybersecurity attacks will become more sophisticated with the use of IoT and AI.

Despite all the benefits of AI and ML, if it falls into the wrong hands, these technologies can be used against organizations. Cybercriminals can use these technological systems to breach networks and steal critical, private, and sensitive data. This risk only increases as more data is stored on the cloud and as technology continues to grow and advance. By 2025, it is predicted that 80% of security attacks will come from an inside source. Security misconfigurations can happen at any layer of the technology stack and cybercriminals will exploit technological vulnerabilities for their own gain. Thus, organizations must remain vigilant of new security opportunities and use autonomous technologies that automatically apply patches and constantly validate system integrity.

1. 80% of data will be linked to things instead of individuals.

Moving forward, the majority of security threats will involve Internet-related things. By 2025, 80% of identity will be the identity of things rather than of the individuals. Thus, the scale of identity data is greater than ever before and distributed across multiple platforms, users and environments. This is beneficial for organizations as context-based identity connect data to the individuals, allowing them to collect data on behavior, usage, location, and much more. Similarly, this allows cybersecurity professionals to predict and identify potential security threats. This will be beneficial for organizations as they will allow organizations to increase transparency and visibility, thus increasing security by allowing them to identify suspicious identity.   Overall, cloud computing, and resulting tools such as AI and ML have radically changed the way that our industry operates and that will only continue as these technologies begin to grow and develop. Oracle provided ten predictions for how these technologies will affect business environments moving forward. Overall, cloud computing and these tools will provide increased flexibility, reliability and security, while decreasing human error and costs. Still, organizations will have to remain cognizant and adaptable to these changes moving forward, and encourage collaboration between both technology and their human employees.