Gartner: Top Trends Shaping the Future of Cloud

According to Gartner, Inc. the following six trends will shape the future of cloud over the next four years, ultimately resulting in new ways of working that are digital in nature and transformative in impact:

Trend 1: Cloud Dissatisfaction

Cloud adoption continues to grow, but not all implementations succeed. Gartner predicts 25% of organizations will have experienced significant dissatisfaction with their cloud adoption by 2028, due to unrealistic expectations, suboptimal implementation and/or uncontrolled costs.

To remain competitive, enterprises need a clear cloud strategy and effective execution. Gartner research indicates that those that have successfully addressed upfront strategic focus by 2029 will find their cloud dissatisfaction will decrease.

Trend 2: AI/ML Demand Increases

Demand for AI/ML is set to surge, with hyperscalers positioned at the core of this growth. They will drive a shift in how compute resources are allocated by embedding foundational capabilities into their IT infrastructure, facilitating partnerships with vendors and users, and leveraging real and synthetic data to train AI models. Gartner predicts 50% of cloud compute resources will be devoted to AI workloads by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"This all points to a fivefold increase in AI-related cloud workloads by 2029," said Joe Rogus, Director, Advisory at Gartner. "Now is the time for organizations to assess whether their data centers and cloud strategies are ready to handle this surge in AI & ML demand. In many cases, they might need to bring AI to where the data is to support this growth."

Trend 3: Multicloud and Cross Cloud

Many organizations that have adopted multicloud architecture find connecting to and between providers a challenge. This lack of interoperability between environments can slow cloud adoption, with Gartner predicting more than 50% of organizations will not get the expected results from their multicloud implementations by 2029.

Gartner recommends identifying specific use cases and planning for distributed apps and data in the organization that could benefit from a cross-cloud deployment model. This enables workloads to operate collaboratively across different cloud platforms, as well as different on-premises and colocation facilities.

Trend 4: Industry Solutions

There is an upward trend toward industry-specific cloud platforms, with more vendors offering solutions that address vertical business outcomes and help scale digital initiatives. Over 50% of organizations will use industry cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives by 2029, according to Gartner.

Gartner recommends organizations approach industry cloud platforms as a strategic way to add new capabilities to their broader IT portfolio, rather than a total replacement. This allows organizations to avoid technical debt, drive innovation and business value.

Trend 5: Digital Sovereignty

AI adoption, tightening privacy regulations and geopolitical tensions are driving demand for sovereign cloud services. Organizations will be increasingly required to protect data, infrastructure and critical workloads from control by external jurisdictions and foreign government access. Gartner predicts over 50% of multinational organizations will have digital sovereign strategies by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"As organizations proactively align their cloud strategies to address digital sovereignty requirements, there are already a wide range of offerings that will support them," said Rogus. "However, it's important they understand exactly what their requirements are, so they can select the right mix of solutions to safeguard their data and operational integrity."

Trend 6: Sustainability

Cloud providers and users are increasingly sharing responsibility for sustainable IT infrastructure. This is being driven by regulators, investors and public demand for greater alignment between technology investments and environmental goals. As AI workloads demand more energy, organizations are also under pressure to better understand, measure and manage the sustainability implications of emerging cloud technologies.

Gartner research shows the percentage of global organizations prioritizing sustainability as part of procurement will rise to over 50% by 2029. To deliver greater value from cloud investments, organizations must look beyond environmental impact alone and align their sustainability strategies with key business outcomes.

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Gartner: Top Trends Shaping the Future of Cloud

According to Gartner, Inc. the following six trends will shape the future of cloud over the next four years, ultimately resulting in new ways of working that are digital in nature and transformative in impact:

Trend 1: Cloud Dissatisfaction

Cloud adoption continues to grow, but not all implementations succeed. Gartner predicts 25% of organizations will have experienced significant dissatisfaction with their cloud adoption by 2028, due to unrealistic expectations, suboptimal implementation and/or uncontrolled costs.

To remain competitive, enterprises need a clear cloud strategy and effective execution. Gartner research indicates that those that have successfully addressed upfront strategic focus by 2029 will find their cloud dissatisfaction will decrease.

Trend 2: AI/ML Demand Increases

Demand for AI/ML is set to surge, with hyperscalers positioned at the core of this growth. They will drive a shift in how compute resources are allocated by embedding foundational capabilities into their IT infrastructure, facilitating partnerships with vendors and users, and leveraging real and synthetic data to train AI models. Gartner predicts 50% of cloud compute resources will be devoted to AI workloads by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"This all points to a fivefold increase in AI-related cloud workloads by 2029," said Joe Rogus, Director, Advisory at Gartner. "Now is the time for organizations to assess whether their data centers and cloud strategies are ready to handle this surge in AI & ML demand. In many cases, they might need to bring AI to where the data is to support this growth."

Trend 3: Multicloud and Cross Cloud

Many organizations that have adopted multicloud architecture find connecting to and between providers a challenge. This lack of interoperability between environments can slow cloud adoption, with Gartner predicting more than 50% of organizations will not get the expected results from their multicloud implementations by 2029.

Gartner recommends identifying specific use cases and planning for distributed apps and data in the organization that could benefit from a cross-cloud deployment model. This enables workloads to operate collaboratively across different cloud platforms, as well as different on-premises and colocation facilities.

Trend 4: Industry Solutions

There is an upward trend toward industry-specific cloud platforms, with more vendors offering solutions that address vertical business outcomes and help scale digital initiatives. Over 50% of organizations will use industry cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives by 2029, according to Gartner.

Gartner recommends organizations approach industry cloud platforms as a strategic way to add new capabilities to their broader IT portfolio, rather than a total replacement. This allows organizations to avoid technical debt, drive innovation and business value.

Trend 5: Digital Sovereignty

AI adoption, tightening privacy regulations and geopolitical tensions are driving demand for sovereign cloud services. Organizations will be increasingly required to protect data, infrastructure and critical workloads from control by external jurisdictions and foreign government access. Gartner predicts over 50% of multinational organizations will have digital sovereign strategies by 2029, up from less than 10% today.

"As organizations proactively align their cloud strategies to address digital sovereignty requirements, there are already a wide range of offerings that will support them," said Rogus. "However, it's important they understand exactly what their requirements are, so they can select the right mix of solutions to safeguard their data and operational integrity."

Trend 6: Sustainability

Cloud providers and users are increasingly sharing responsibility for sustainable IT infrastructure. This is being driven by regulators, investors and public demand for greater alignment between technology investments and environmental goals. As AI workloads demand more energy, organizations are also under pressure to better understand, measure and manage the sustainability implications of emerging cloud technologies.

Gartner research shows the percentage of global organizations prioritizing sustainability as part of procurement will rise to over 50% by 2029. To deliver greater value from cloud investments, organizations must look beyond environmental impact alone and align their sustainability strategies with key business outcomes.

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What's Blocking Scalable AI?

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Not All Networks Are Built for the Edge

From smart factories and autonomous vehicles to real-time analytics and intelligent building systems, the demand for instant, local data processing is exploding. To meet these needs, organizations are leaning into edge computing. The promise? Faster performance, reduced latency and less strain on centralized infrastructure. But there's a catch: Not every network is ready to support edge deployments ...

Why Observability Is the Missing Piece in Your Business Growth

Every digital customer interaction, every cloud deployment, and every AI model depends on the same foundation: the ability to see, understand, and act on data in real time ... Recent data from Splunk confirms that 74% of the business leaders believe observability is essential to monitoring critical business processes, and 66% feel it's key to understanding user journeys. Because while the unknown is inevitable, observability makes it manageable. Let's explore why ...

Gartner: Regular AI System Assessments Triple the Likelihood of High GenAI Value

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Beyond Autoscaling: What True Kubernetes Optimization Actually Requires

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Artificial intelligence is no longer a future investment. It's already embedded in how we work — whether through copilots in productivity apps, real-time transcription tools in meetings, or machine learning models fueling analytics and personalization. But while enterprise adoption accelerates, there's one critical area many leaders have yet to examine: Can your network actually support AI at the speed your users expect? ...

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In today's fast-paced AI landscape, CIOs, IT leaders, and engineers are constantly challenged to manage increasingly complex and interconnected systems. The sheer scale and velocity of data generated by modern infrastructure can be overwhelming, making it difficult to maintain uptime, prevent outages, and create a seamless customer experience. This complexity is magnified by the industry's shift towards agentic AI ...

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