Cloud-Native Applications are the future of IT: Dell Technologies

Cloud-native applications are defined technically as applications running in a containerized environment, capable of moving in and out of the cloud, that scale horizontally based on varying workloads. A new generation of cloud-native applications are fundamentally transforming how databases are constructed and deployed. According to IDC, by 2023, over 500 million digital apps and services will be developed and deployed using cloud-native approaches globally. This is the same number of apps developed in the last 40 years.

Historically, enterprise IT organizations have built monolithic applications that share access to the same data. That approach makes ensuring data consistency across an application relatively straightforward. However, the downside is that these monolithic applications are inflexible. Whenever new capabilities get added, the entire application needs updating, which requires a lot of time and effort.

The solution to this is microservices. It breaks an application up into a series of loosely coupled components that are easier for smaller teams of developers to update more frequently. At a time when organizations are accelerating their digital transformation, a microservices-based approach is proving indispensable. With a strong hybrid cloud strategy, organizations can harness the power of cloud-native applications to achieve faster data insights, increased employee productivity, better customer experiences and faster application deployments.

Moreover, cloud-native apps provides organizations with greater agility, resilience, and portability across cloud environments. With a cloud native architecture, your operations teams become champions of process improvement and automation, delivering direct value to the business. Here are some benefits that an organization can reap with these cloud-native applications.

• Gain a competitive advantage- Cloud native development means switching from a focus on IT cost savings to seeing the cloud as an engine of business growth. Businesses that can quickly build and deliver applications in response to customer needs will have an edge over competitors.
• Enable teams to focus on critical tasks- When legacy infrastructure fails, services can suffer. In a cloud native world, teams can focus on important tasks. The rapidly expanding cloud native landscape helps developers and architects design systems that stay online regardless of hiccups in the environment.
• Achieve greater flexibility– With a platform that supports cloud native development, enterprises build applications that run on any public or private cloud without modification.
• Align operations with business needs- By automating IT operations, enterprises can transform into lean, focused teams aligned to business priorities. This eliminates the risk of failure due to human error as staff focus on automation to replace manual admin tasks.

Cloud-native applications based on microservices are going to transform every aspect of IT. Right now, one of the least appreciated aspects of that transition is the impact microservices will have on data storage.  It’s never been more important to be able to work with a single vendor capable of addressing all those requirements through centrally managed storage. By using a hybrid cloud operating model, your organization will be able to achieve better outcomes and efficiencies.