EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

CHRIS ROYLES , FIELD CTO – EMEA AT CLOUDERA

This year we ’ re likely to see a greater emphasis and focus on federated secure data platforms . For example , Gaia-X is a federated project being worked on by several European countries that is striving for innovation through data sovereignty . Rather than operating as a single cloud , a federated system links many cloud service providers and users together in a transparent environment . The idea here is to lessen the current reliance on cloud hyperscalers .

We ’ re already seeing organisations , such as the NHS ( the healthcare system in England ) unveil plans to develop a federated data platform as they look to manage vast amounts of data across multiple platforms . A unified data fabric approach to delivering disparate data sources intelligently and securely in a

self-service manner across multiple clouds and onpremises is in essence a federated data management system at scale , helping businesses navigate the data challenges they face .

Prediction 2 : Trough of disillusionment coming for hyperscalers

For companies looking to enhance their customer experience , operational agility and innovation capabilities , Digital Transformation is a necessity . Here , organisations have traditionally looked to hyperscalers to help them on this path but soon realise the journey is fast becoming an expensive one .

Data and workload repatriation as well as hybrid-cloud approaches are becoming better understood and organisations are leaning towards a more balanced view . In simple terms , how can an organisation develop flexibility for events outside of their control – such as a government changing or implementing new privacy and data exchange policies .

Several companies across various industries have signed billion-pound contracts with hyperscalers in a short period of time , with deals typically lasting three to five years . Often the natural drive for these decisions comes from the top down but when talking to company leaders on the ground many are behind schedule and struggling to get a return on their investment . We ’ ll start to see customers look for alternatives to hyperscalers .

To use a Gartner pattern as an example , we ’ re on the top of a curve of a hype cycle where everyone is competing for a limited pool of funds in the business domain and are going to go over the top in the next two years . Come the following year , we ’ ll enter a trough and it will be painful for some – leading to the hyperscalers being placed under increasing time to value pressure .

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