Top 10 Government IT Innovators Of 2013

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In December 2012, Cary Landis and that i made 10 predictions about how cloud computing was prone to evolve this year and the way those changes were more likely to impact enterprise computing. But things are moving fast on the earth of cloud computing, reaffirming a few of those predictions and altering others.

Here is a recap of what I predicted then and an update of the way I see those trends unfolding now.

1. Cloud technologies will converge.

The cloud will continue to forge an enormous convergence of technologies — almost like the evolution of the cellphone to the smartphone. The lines between platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and cloud services brokerages will blur right into a conceptual operating system for the “Web as a platform” — providing tools to permit users to milk multiple cloud solutions instantaneously, and bringing the cloud toward the tip user in additional meaningful ways.

Update: Because the cloud computing marketplace continues to rapidly evolve and grow, the focal point for buyers is shifting from software-as-a-service (SaaS) to infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). There’s also a heightened awareness about choices around building, buying or leasing IT infrastructure services. For presidency agencies, this will likely end in more options and opportunities, and should drive the desire for added analysis and a deeper understanding of the way cloud computing technologies can be utilized to enhance mission performance.

[ Do you could have a Plan B? Learn Lessons From A Failed Federal IT Project. ]

2. Custom software will hit the cloud.

For years, everyone watching cloud computing have been talking in regards to the “low-hanging fruit” of commodity email and infrastructure. But non-commodity custom software is starting to move to the cloud in a meaningful manner. As of this year, PaaS and other cloud technologies have reached a maturity level that permits developers and integrators to construct highly customized, complex offerings at the cloud.

Update: While PaaS technology continues to rapidly mature, the marketplace continues to be learning tips on how to take the PaaS concept and extend it into the custom application development arena. The evolution of “optimal DevOps” business models and other operating models may push widespread adoption into next year. This trend will drive the adoption of PaaS by federal system integrators. Vendors that use PaaS to deliver custom software products, however, could be capable of gain a vital cost advantage over those who don’t, especially inside the low-price, technically acceptable, government procurement environment.

3. Integration becomes the brand new “killer app.”

The term “killer app” generally refers back to the technology that’s so necessary it drives adoption of a computing paradigm. Complexity is the difficulty of the cloud era. The cloud is evolving right into a hodgepodge of disparate cloud services from vendors which are scattered all over. IT professionals will turn to cloud services brokers to control the growing complexity problem by integrating heterogeneous infrastructure services, while software developers will turn to PaaS for integrating disparate Web services to deliver seamless user experiences to their customers.

Update: Cloud services brokerage is becoming a key component for managing hybrid enterprise IT environments. a brand new entrant in the stores, the cloud access security broker, is emerging as a very important and complementary brokerage service. As cloud service standardization becomes more prevalent, federal system integrators will quickly morph into government service integrators which are capable of deliver fully integrated, secure cloud-based service solutions on demand.

4. India and outsourcing countries will drive industry adoption of PaaS worldwide.

The software development outsourcing industry thrives at the value proposition of more for less; it’s what it does well. In 2013, PaaS might be adopted by companies in India and in other major outsourcing countries in a rapid and notable fashion. It is going to cause a ripple effect throughout industry because these outsourcing companies are so integral to trendy business operations. The cloud makes geographic boundaries irrelevant.

Update: Major outsourcing countries are exploring how PaaS can be utilized to lessen development cost and increase margins. Here is crucial to those countries’ continued ability to be the most well liked providers of skilled labor. If such efforts aren’t successful enough, though, security concerns and the necessity to preserve domestic jobs will drive a retrenchment of the global offshoring business. The industrial savings enabled by offshoring will also spur an intense review of software acquisition policies. Continued enforcement of onshore development and software developer citizenship requirements may not become financially viable for plenty agencies.