2018 Trends for Cloud Computing and Enterprise Cloud Printing

With 2018 just around the corner, it’s difficult not to think about the upcoming year and what trends we can expect to see when it comes to enterprise cloud printing.

As cloud computing and cloud based solutions are become more common among enterprises of all shapes and sizes, many industry experts and analysts are carefully watching any upcoming trends.

These trends also apply to cloud SaaS printing, which combines the convenience of software as a service and centralized printing on an enterprise level.

Below are a few other upcoming Cloud computing and Cloud printing trends you should be aware of in 2018.

Cloud Computing Trends

Forrester overall predictions have reflected the growing dominance of cloud applications, development platforms and their role in revolutionizing new business models.

Below is Forrester’s top 10 list of cloud computing predictions for 2018:

• Cloud is consolidating, so don’t expect any new global megaclouds. Instead, start planning to mitigate lock-in risk.
• SaaS vendors will develop to become true platform providers and become easier to consume their software.
• Cloud platforms outside North America will become more focused and target local or industry specific needs.
• Kubernetes has won the war for container orchestration dominance and should be at the heart of your microservices plans.
• Zero Trust security will become integral to the success of all leading cloud platforms
• After a slowdown, private and hybrid cloud spending will increase, due to new on-premises cloud solutions.
• Private clouds will be refreshed as new app development and modernization platforms, moving beyond IaaS.
• As more competition builds in the management platform, cloud management solutions will start to be sold in parts or offered for free.
• Enterprises will shift 10% of their traffic from carrier backbones to colocation and cloud service providers.
• Immersive lab-based training programs become the best way to drive fast, real, and lasting change in how you build software.

Interested in learning more about cloud printing? Check out this free whitepaper on secure cloud printing and how to ensure complete security in the cloud!

Enterprise Cloud Printing Trends

Cloud Security

Forrester predicts that more than 50% of global enterprises will rely on at least one public cloud platform to drive their digital transformation.

The total global public cloud market will be $178 Billion in 2018, from $146 billion, and will continue to grow at a 22% compound annual growth rate.

As cloud based solutions are becoming more widely used and accepted, enterprise security has become a major concern for all organizations and industries.

It is safe to say that enterprise cloud printing will also be evolving to focus more on security.

For most enterprise cloud printing solutions, security will revolve around becoming safe harbor compliant. This protects data that needs to be secure when at rest, in use and in motion.

The overall goal of enterprise cloud printing solutions to become safe harbor compliant is to provide a single set of data protection requirements for transferring confidential data across the Cloud.

Mobile and BYOD Printing

Bringing and using your own device to work is still a rising trend in most industries, yet we still notice that many organizations have been slow to fully deploy enterprise printing software for seamless mobile printing.

With mobile printing and the use of Cloud platforms on the rise, we predict that more organizations will begin to full adopt and use mobile printing solutions in their environment and not just talk about it.

For those of you who don’t know, mobile printing works through a Citrix, VMware, VDI or RDS environment, which allows mobile users of any device (iOS, Android, Chromebook etc.) to print directly to any network printer.

The power of mobile print release allows users the control and convenience to print directly from their mobile device through secure pull printing.

Mobile printing software require zero configurations for the user device and their mapped printers will just appear as available to them.

Analytics and Reporting

The ubiquity of the Cloud is nothing new and with more companies moving towards Cloud based tools, the use of Cloud analytics will also be embraced.

This upcoming year will also see a rise in enterprise cloud printing analytics and reporting features that include providing data beyond basic printing activity.

Further features could include, automated reports forwarded to decision makers and improved SNMP integrations that would provide real time snapshots of how the print environment looks at any moment.

Being data driven and future proofing your enterprise for the Cloud is no longer an ideal; it is an expectation in the modern business world.

2018 will be an exciting year of looking past all the current challenges and moving towards digital transformation!