In 2024, multi-cloud networking and security solutions will continue to evolve rapidly, driven by the increasing adoption of cloud services and the need for enterprises to leverage multiple cloud service providers across a growing base of distributed applications and use cases. In 2022 the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) completed a research study on Multi-cloud Application Deployment and Delivery Decision Making. The survey found that 85% of enterprises were already using 2 or more Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud platforms, with 54% using 3 or more.
Some of the key drivers they found for multi-cloud adoption, driving the need for multi-cloud networking solutions, included redundancy, cost optimization, and access to specialized services, with industry-specific cloud platforms becoming increasingly important.
Based on the state of multi-cloud application deployment, here are 6 of the top multi-cloud networking trends to keep an eye on in 2024:
- Interoperability and Standards: According to the ESG study, composable applications are clearly becoming the norm, with more than half of all enterprises reporting that their application portfolio includes 100 or more inter-cloud integrations. As these multi-cloud environments become more prevalent and complex, there is a growing demand for interoperability between different cloud platforms. With each cloud service provider and platform ‘speaking is own unique language,’ standards and protocols facilitating seamless communication and data transfer between cloud platforms will gain importance.
- Edge Computing Integration: With the proliferation of edge computing and IoT devices, there is a growing need to integrate edge devices and edge computing platforms with a distributed multi-cloud network architecture. This integration will enable distributed applications to leverage resources from multiple clouds, edge locations, and IoT devices efficiently. Multi-cloud networking services will see increasing adoption as a result.
- SD-WAN for Multi-cloud: Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) will increasingly play a crucial role as the brains behind multi-cloud network management in 2024 and beyond, providing organizations with centralized control and management of their multi-cloud connectivity platform as an extension of their WAN. Solutions such as Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Onramp for Multi-cloud that are tailored to deliver the ‘language’ translations required for cloud connectivity and interoperability across multi-cloud environments will continue to gain traction. They will begin displacing standalone, niche multicloud networking software platforms from multi-cloud networking companies like Aviatrix and Alkira.
- Security and Compliance: Security remains a top concern for multi-cloud deployments. In 2024, there will be a greater focus on implementing consistent security policies and controls across all cloud environments. Multi-cloud network security solutions such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and Secure Service Edge (SSE), for improving security posture and ensuring compliance with regulations and standards across multi-cloud environments will see growing adoption.
- Automation and Orchestration: Automation and orchestration will become increasingly important for managing multi-cloud network connectivity efficiently. Tools and platforms that enable automated provisioning, configuration, and scaling of network resources across multiple cloud platforms will grow in favor.
- Cost Optimization: Cost optimization remains a key driver for multi-cloud adoption in 2024. What’s new is that IT organizations now must also focus on optimizing their multicloud connectivity platform costs. It will require dynamically routing traffic based on performance and cost metrics, while leveraging a mix of emerging cloud native transport offerings, public Internet and private cloud connectivity to optimize Wide Area Networking (WAN) and cloud service provider network egress costs.
Overall, the trends in multi-cloud networking are being shaped by the need for increased agility, scalability, security, and cost efficiency as organizations continue to leverage multiple cloud providers and platforms to achieve their digital transformation agendas in 2024.
Multi-cloud Application Deployment and Delivery Decision Making, Enterprise Strategy Group, February 2023
About Apcela
Apcela provides software-defined, cloud-optimized networks for the digitally transforming enterprise. Delivered as a service, we enable enterprises to easily deploy and operate a software-defined network and security architecture that was built for a multi-cloud world.
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Jason Ameris
Apcela
Jason.Ameris@apcela.com
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