IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Cloud 2024 Predictions

This IDC study provides IDC's top 10 predictions for cloud for 2024 and beyond."Cloud makes it possible to quickly deploy new technologies at scale while simultaneously reducing risk," said Dave McCarthy, research vice president, Cloud and Edge Infrastructure Services at IDC. "As AI captures the imagination of technology and business leaders, the agility provided by cloud enables organizations to deliver continuous value for both internal and external stakeholders."

IDC FutureScape Figure

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

• Summary of External Drivers
• Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
  • Prediction 1: By 2025, 70% of Enterprises Will Form Strategic Ties to Cloud Providers for GenAI Platforms, Developer Tools, and Infrastructure, Requiring New Corporate Controls for Data and Cost Governance
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 2: By 2024, 23% Of Organizations Will Implement Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms with AI to Enforce Continuous Compliance with Cloud Security Posture Management Features
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 3: By 2025, 50% of Enterprises Will Break with the Public Cloud Migration Trend and Primarily Deploy HPC On Premises, at a Managed Services Provider or at a Colocation Provider
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 4: By 2027, 85% of the G2000 Will Rely on Cloud Providers and Connectivity Partners for Zero-Touch Provisioning and Zero Trust Security at the Edge, Reducing the Burden on IT Staff by 2x
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 5: By 2025, 65% of the G2000 Will Engage in Multicloud Through Partner Ecosystems That Provide Valued Services, Application Development, and Integration from the Distributed Cloud to the Edge
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 6: By 2026, Two-Thirds of Cloud Applications Will Use AI, Leaving 80% of Global Organizations to Struggle with Finding Enough Skilled AI Professionals to Continually Manage and Update Them
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 7: By 2028, Owing to Growing Power Scarcity and Sustainability Mandates, 60% of Datacenters Will Adopt Fit-for-Purpose Solutions Such as Custom Silicon, Liquid Cooling, Microgrids, and Ruggedization
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 8: By 2026, 50% of G2000 Companies Will Expand Their FinOps Scope to Identify New Cost Optimization Opportunities by Adding SaaS Management Platform Tools and Capabilities
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 9: GenAI Will Reinvent Refactoring of Legacy Apps, with Enterprises Utilizing GenAI Tools and Cloud Service Provider Platforms to Initiate and Execute 75% of Code Conversion and Development Tasks by 2027
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance
  • Prediction 10: Over the Next 12 Months, CIOs Will Direct 35% of Their IaaS Data Storage Budgets Toward Solutions for Data Sovereignty to Achieve Regulatory Compliance
    • Associated Drivers
    • IT Impact
    • Guidance

Advice for Technology Buyers

External Drivers: Detail

• AI Everywhere - Generative AI Takes the Spotlight
• The Drive to Automate - Maximizing Efficiency and New Opportunities
• Cybersecurity and Risk - Building Resilience Against Multiplying Threats
• The Digital Business Imperative - Competitiveness and Outcomes
• Everything as a Service Intensifies - Transforming Models to Drive Change
• Shifting Tech Regulatory Landscape - Navigating Risk and Opportunity
• Operationalization of ESG - Measuring and Implementing Sustainability

Learn More

• Related Research