Will 2021 Be the Year of the Server?
According to IDC, worldwide public cloud service spending will more than double by 2023, to more than $500 billion USD. Business grows increasingly digitised, with data of all types now stored via the cloud and data centers worldwide. It’s clear that server configurations will continue to grow in importance, and more companies than ever will start to install their own setups. The question is, by how much? What will 2021 look like in regards to cloud computing and storage?
2021: An Important Year for Servers
As 2020 has shown us, there’s incredible value in being able to work apart and from multiple locations. Storing data and files in the cloud, software as a service (SaaS), and online communications have made it possible for companies of all sizes to adapt to this year’s change in circumstances. It’s marked a clear need and the potential of server setups for businesses, opening up a world of national and international business that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. At the same time, we’ve also seen data breaches and security risks throughout this year; after all, multiple access points to company data also open the way for security intrusions. Businesses have learnt a lot about data storage and remote working. With this in mind, 2021 is going to be a significant year for server technology and the way businesses configure their setups. Here are a few changes we can expect to see throughout 2021. Businesses Introduce Servers into Their Operations, Or Evolve Current Configurations Businesses are starting to opt for a hybrid mix of public cloud server usage and onsite server storage, using cloud platforms where their own expertise may be lacking, in addition to the costs involved for setting up similar environments themselves. As server technology evolves and is more cost-effective, businesses are setting up their own installations, enhancing company data security – something many companies will be seeking after the many data breaches in 2019 and 2020. Storage Density Continues to Increase Storage density and the footprint of onsite storage are constant considerations for business, and with new products such as the ASUS S2036Z server offering more than half a petabyte of storage in a 2U configuration, such concerns will diminish as the technology evolves and is adopted. While IT Spending Decreases, IT Infrastructure Grows In May of this year, IDC forecasted a decline of 5.1% for IT spending throughout 2020, but an increase of 4% for IT infrastructure spending. This was attributed to “resilient spending by service providers in addition to ongoing enterprise demand for cloud services…”. More and more businesses are digitising the way they work, setting up their own cloud deployments, and accelerating existing configurations, meaning more spending on fundamental infrastructure for the business. With the benefits so many have seen from moving to remote working, it’s no surprise spending has switched from individual hardware and onsite networks to broader spending on cloud computing, and this is only likely to grow as we enter the new year. Usage of Cloud Storage and Computing Will Continue to Grow Publicly available services for businesses will continue to grow as companies like AWS, Microsoft, and Google continue to evolve their platforms throughout 2021. Services provided by the likes of Microsoft and Google also offer companies corporate cloud working environments like G Suite and Microsoft’s suite of word processing, communication, presentation, and spreadsheet applications. The convenience of using these will ensure enterprises will invest more into moving from individual systems throughout the business, to centralised computing that offers more affordable, sensible ways of working – particularly while business personnel are distributed. If you’re looking for help in setting up a server configuration in your business, or want to learn more about how ASUS can aid your business when it comes to server and cloud computing, speak to ASUS Business today.
