According to Gartner, cloud computing will shift from being a technology disruptor to an essential component for sustaining business competitiveness by 2028.

The IT research firm and consultancy noted that, as it stands, organisations are utilising cloud computing either as a technology disruptor or a capacity enabler.

Those making use of the cloud as a disruptor are harnessing its potential to positively change non-cloud, data-centre-oriented computing styles and technologies, Gartner said.

Further, companies adopting cloud technology as a capability enabler are using it to drive new capabilities, such as serverless functions, rapid continuous integration/cloud delivery, and processes that were difficult to achieve pre-cloud.

However, over the next few years, cloud computing is predicted to continue to evolve to become an integral business necessity. Most organisations will be leveraging cloud as a business necessity by 2028, it’s been forecast, with more than 50% of enterprises using industry cloud platforms to accelerate business initiatives.

These predictions come as spending on cloud services continues to rise. The research firm recently forecasted that worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services will grow to a total of $679 billion (£554bn~) in 2024. Further, the spend in this area is projected to exceed $1 trillion in 2027.

Speaking on why firms are directing substantial financial resources into the cloud, Milind Govekar, chief of research with Gartner’s program and portfolio management (PPM) research, said: “Organizations are actively investing in cloud technology due to its potential to foster innovation, create market disruptions, and enhance customer retention in order to gain a competitive edge.”

However, he also noted that “While many organizations have started to seize the technical advantages of cloud, only a few have unlocked its full potential in supporting business transformation. As a result, organizations are using the cloud to launch a new wave of disruption driven by artificial intelligence (AI), enabling them to unlock business value at scale.”

Govekar advised that “With cloud computing becoming an integral part of business operations in 2028, CIOs and IT leaders will have to implement a highly efficient cloud operating model in order to achieve their desired business objectives.”

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While the cloud is predicted to continue moving forwards, the research firm recently discovered that cloud concentration is a significant emerging risk for firms.

Specifically, in a survey of nearly 300 risk executives in September, it found that the risk associated with dependence on a particular cloud provider for multiple business capabilities is in the top five emerging risks for companies, and for the second year running.

“Many organizations are now in a position where they would face severe disruption in the event of the failure of a single provider,” noted Ran Xu, research director in the Gartner legal risk and compliance practice.