As we look back, 2016 was a year of significant evolution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) moving toward cloud adoption. With cloud service trends in 2017 poised to make even greater impacts, the SMB cloud services market is projected to reach $208.6 billion by 2018. Cloud service providers are becoming essential catalysts for scalable growth. Moreover, these providers continually improve their offerings while addressing critical concerns, such as security and compliance.
Consequently, as CIOs grow more confident in cloud computing solutions, 2017 is shaping up to be the year when mission-critical applications migrate to the cloud. To prepare, here are the top cloud service trends in 2017 that deserve your attention:
1) Security Will Take Center Stage
First and foremost, security remains a top priority. Although it was a major concern in 2016, recent high-profile breaches have reinforced the need for layered IT security and advanced encryption. Therefore, expect cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and others to allocate even more resources toward multi-layered protection. They are also focusing on compliance certifications and proactive threat detection. In the context of cloud service trends in 2017, businesses should prioritize providers that offer robust security frameworks to safeguard sensitive data.
2) Cost Optimization Will Gain Momentum
In addition, as your cloud environment matures, the pay-as-you-go model can lead to unexpectedly high costs. Consequently, one of the most important cloud service trends in 2017 will be smarter cost control strategies. For example, look for providers that offer flexible pricing, real-time usage analytics, and scalability without locking you into multi-year contracts. Ultimately, agility and cost-efficiency will become key competitive advantages.
3) Serverless Architecture Will Rise
Furthermore, the concept of “serverless” computing will gain traction. While the term may sound misleading—because servers still exist—the difference is that you have zero responsibility for physical server maintenance. In 2017, SMBs will increasingly adopt serverless computing to reduce overhead and accelerate application deployment. One of the latest cloud service trends in 2017 will be how your cloud provider handles monitoring and maintenance. This enables faster performance at a fraction of the cost. This trend empowers businesses to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure.
Why 2017 Is the Year to Migrate
Ultimately, migration to the cloud isn’t just about technology—it’s about transforming operations. By leveraging these cloud service trends in 2017, SMBs can spend less time managing systems and more time driving growth. Cloud providers deliver scalability, agility, and cost-efficiency while addressing security challenges head-on. Therefore, businesses that act now will gain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital marketplace.
✅ Pro Tip: Begin by auditing your current IT environment and identifying which workloads can benefit most from cloud migration. Then, choose a provider that aligns with your security, cost, and scalability goals.
Charles Lobert, has been in the Detroit Metro Area’s IT industry for over two decades & with VCS since ’04. Throughout the years, Lobert has held nearly every position at VCS & is responsible for several major organizational shifts within VCS.