Prepare yourself for a cliché. 2020 was the year of unprecedented times—and I think it’s safe to say we’re tired of unpredictability. So, let’s set the stage for the year with dozens of IT predictions straight from our customers’ mouths.
We polled you on Nutanix Connection, our customer influencer program, to find out what you believe will shape IT in 2021, and the results are in.
Without further ado, our 115 respondents have agreed that 2021 will be the year of…
Hybrid Cloud
Several organizations understandably have cloud computing on the brain—and namely, hybrid cloud and multicloud seem to be at the forefront of many predictions. This same sentiment is echoed in the Enterprise Cloud Index, where 86% of respondents cite hybrid cloud as their ideal cloud operating model.
If hybrid cloud is on your 2021 radar too, be sure to consult the Hybrid Cloud Dos and Don’ts eBook for help avoiding common pitfalls. And if you already have hybrid cloud plans in place, the O’Reilly Hybrid Cloud Management Strategies eBook will be a handy guide as you map out your project.
Cost Reduction
This prediction came as no surprise. With the direction 2020 took, more teams were forced to make do with fewer resources and shrinking budgets. Understandably, the pressure is on to save.
Here’s one way you can determine if you’re primed for financial success. Take a brief, 3-minute assessment of your Cloud Cost IQ to see where budget priorities are in your organization, to learn if you’re on the right track to realizing your economic advantage, and to unlock custom resources to support your cost-saving initiatives.
Automation
Show of hands. Who wants to bring complexity into the new year? While this prediction isn’t unique to the 2020-2021 transition, more businesses are realizing how much time is spent on mundane tasks that are perfect candidates for automation.
You can Test Drive application-centric automation for free to see just how much time you can save. Get started by publishing blueprints with a policy-driven model and enabling self-service to expedite application provisioning across teams.
Remote Work
Surprise! By far, the majority of respondents expect remote work to not only be a continued reality in 2021—but perhaps a permanent fixture. And other trends corroborate this belief. In issue 8 of NEXT Magazine, the article “When ‘Business as Usual’...Isn’t” states:
Even once the pandemic is under control and people go back to working in offices, things will certainly be different from before. Many companies are planning on reducing on-site staff to maintain 50 percent capacity in physical offices through rotation of employees or designated “in-office days.”
Desktop-as-a-Service
Of course, with the rise of work-from-home comes the need for desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) to deliver virtual applications and desktops to any corner of the globe. During the early stages of the remote work push, many businesses found themselves lacking a viable DaaS solution—so it makes sense we’ll likely see more DaaS adoption this year.
The DaaS for Dummies eBook is an excellent primer on the DaaS space and can help you adopt a DaaS solution yourself, understand the business and technical benefits of DaaS, and troubleshoot common challenges of VDI.
VDI
DaaS and VDI were tied closely together for the second-most-predicted response in our survey. The same truth holds: the greater the number of remote workers, the greater the need for VDI and similar solutions.
The Definitive Guide to VDI on Hyperconverged Infrastructure likely has answers to many of your VDI questions, including how to estimate storage requirements, effectively scale the compute layer, develop a predictable cost architecture, and more.
Security
Security breaches happen. But do you know just how costly they are? Around 78% of organizations have been victims of one or more successful cyberattacks, and the average cost of a data breach is nearly $4 million. Even worse, research shows a 350% growth in ransomware attacks alone.
This article by The Forecast can help you make the proper adjustments in your cloud to counteract the rise in security threats. And one strategy that should be on your radar this year is the zero-trust security model, which is quickly becoming the preferred way to block any attackers.
Trying Nutanix
We have our friend and customer Richard Osorio of CNT EP to thank for this prediction! But in truth, this year is an excellent time to give the Nutanix architecture a try—and you can do it completely free.
Take a Test Drive to accomplish all sorts of things (and tick off nearly all of these predictions!) like building a hybrid cloud, securing your applications, simplifying day-to-day operations, and so much more. All you need is a browser—and if you’re reading this blog, you’re halfway there!
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