2019 brings more data, more clouds and more demands on IT

It's an exciting time for tech enthusiasts to be exploring the new business opportunities presented by today's technologies and how companies can best prepare to take advantage of them. Dell Technologies, the US-based manufacturer of computers and storage systems, explains six key trends for 2019.

1. due to the strong data growth more and more clouds are created

In 2018, Dell Technologies had predicted the emergence of a mega-cloud - the combination of a variety of public and private clouds in a high-performance operating model. So far, this has been confirmed in the form of multi-cloud models. Against this backdrop, the public versus private cloud debate will continue to lose steam as enterprises realize they need to efficiently process and manage all types of data. Multi-cloud environments continue to drive automation, as well as data processing using artificial intelligence and machine learning, as they give organizations the ability to manage, move, and manipulate data anytime, anywhere. As a result, more clouds will emerge as data storage becomes increasingly distributed - at the edge in autonomous driving environments or smart factories, in cloud-native apps, in the company's own specially protected data center, and, of course, in the public cloud for a variety of apps and services that consumers use every day.

2. the data deluge demands a multi-tier cloud model and changes the face of the modern data center.

With increasing data volumes at the edge and the need for powerful, scalable, real-time analytics to support AI and machine learning applications, distributed data centers are required. Multi- and hybrid-cloud models continue to evolve, providing cloud computing capabilities at different stages of data processing to best meet each specific need. This move closer to the edge will also support analytics and data management outside of the core infrastructure - as an extension of a private cloud hosted in your own data center. A combination of public, private and hybrid clouds will therefore become the norm. Such multi-tier clouds can be distributed from large public cloud data centers to dedicated and optimized data centers in companies as well as real time edge clouds to intelligent end devices.

3. AI and machine learning increase the productivity of humans and machines.

AI and ML applications will enhance and improve the user experience and reduce the complexity of using technology. The line between activities performed by humans or machines is shifting, and AI is supporting more and more business decisions. PCs will be able to predict their energy consumption based on usage patterns, while apps will learn from user preferences and behaviors to provide a personalized environment. Even established enterprise apps are using AI and ML to drive greater automation and help employees prepare for strategic decisions.

4. 5G accelerates data transfer, web applications and the shift to software-defined IT.

5G is mentioned as a top IT trend in many predictions for 2019 - but what is often overlooked is that this new mobile standard should be the reason for companies to develop a software-defined IT strategy. 5G requires a software-defined network and new distributed computing models. These will ultimately need to be supported by fully software-defined data centers to ensure that data can be transported at the required speed and scalability. Enterprises must be able to easily manage 5G infrastructures to quickly introduce new software code and APIs as needed. Automation and intelligence play a critical role, and this is where software-defined comes in with scalable NVMe fabrics and SD-WAN.

5. AR and VR promote learning and creativity in the workplace

Augmented and virtual reality have made great strides throughout 2018 to create an immersive, enhanced visual experience - and as a result, 2019 will also see an increase in the adoption of these technologies in the workplace. On-site training and the ability to access real-time data, even at the Edge, will not only close a skills gap in certain professions and industries, but also give employees new freedom to achieve optimal results regardless of the physical workplace. AR/VR will make the breakthrough not because of user interface improvements, but because of advances in data center and cloud infrastructures. This is because these provide the data, processing capacity and power required to make AR/VR a fully immersive experience. As a result, AR/VR is no longer seen as a standalone user experience, but rather as a presentation interface for the advanced capabilities of modern data centers in delivering AI-driven business insights and big data.

6. the value of data triggers the next big push in technology investment

90 percent of all global data has only been created in the last few years. Market researchers predict that the volume of data will grow to 44 zettabytes by 2020. As companies evaluate this data more intensively and use it to gain new insights that drive innovation and more efficient business processes, more investments are being made in the technology sector. New startups are emerging to tackle the biggest challenges and make AI a reality: Data management and distributed analytics that extract insights from any source, and data compliance solutions that provide a secure, intelligent path to achieve amazing results.

"Whether in the smart home, connected car, workplace, retail or logistics, virtual assistants are becoming more widespread, driven by AI and machine learning. Thus, machine intelligence is merging with augmented and virtual reality in many application scenarios in companies and customer communication," explains Frank Thonüs, General Manager Enterprise at Dell EMC Switzerland. "The speed of innovation of companies can be increased by automation and robotics, and the advances in speech processing and speech technologies enable a more productive dialogue with machines." And Achim Freyer, General Manager Commercial at Dell EMC Switzerland, adds: "Dell EMC predicted trends about a year ago, many of which have continued and strengthened. Multi-cloud models are increasingly networking the IT landscapes of local data centers. This is opening up opportunities for companies across all industries to enter new markets, increase competitiveness and drive digital transformation."

Source and further information: Dell EMC