The transition from on-premises solutions to cloud-based systems is well underway. More applications are being moved to the cloud or developed specifically as cloud-native.

What do the numbers say about this trend? According to McKinsey research: 

• 95% of European companies are realizing benefits from cloud technology. 

• Over one-third plan to shift more than half of their workloads to the cloud. 

• 50% are either migrating large-scale operations to the cloud or creating new applications within cloud environments. 

The growing importance of cloud development extends far beyond IoT, encompassing a wide range of benefits and use cases. While cloud computing plays a key role in managing and analyzing vast amounts of data generated by connected devices, its advantages go much further. 

Cloud solutions provide flexible pricing models, allowing organizations to optimize costs through on-demand, pay-per-use structures or reserved lower-cost options. They also grant access to high-performance hardware that many companies could not afford to purchase outright. Additionally, the cloud offers virtually unlimited scalability, continuous support, and automatic updates for both hardware and software—eliminating concerns about aging infrastructure that would otherwise require costly replacements. 

Security is another major advantage, with built-in redundancy ensuring data protection and availability. Moreover, cloud adoption significantly reduces operational costs compared to on-premises solutions, lowering expenses related to electricity, HVAC, and infrastructure maintenance. Ultimately, the cloud empowers businesses with a modern, cost-effective, and highly resilient computing environment. 

Key principles of cloud-native development 

Cloud-native development is a great choice for organizations that want to build applications quickly and scale them easily. This is possible because cloud-native applications are designed to run in the cloud and take advantage of cloud computing resources. 

What does shape their development? Solutions like microservices’ architecture, APIs and communication, containers, and DevOps (CI/CD). 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these elements. 

Microservices 

Microservices infrastructure is software design that empowers businesses to build modern applications using a modular approach. At its core, it is a set of small, independent services. Each microservice functions as a small, independent unit focused on a specific task. 

Have you ever wondered how quickly organizations can adapt to changing needs? With microservices, they can develop, manage, and deploy each service separately, driving innovation at a faster pace. This architecture improves efficiency, simplifies maintenance, and facilitates updates, contributing to business agility. 

APIs and Communication 

As software architecture has moved to a cloud computing environment, communication and connectivity services have also evolved. And their role and significance changed significantly. So what’s the difference between monolithic and cloud-native applications when it comes to communication?  

• In a monolithic application, everything runs together in a shared memory space. 

• Cloud-native applications, on the other hand, use microservices that communicate with each other through APIs and messaging technologies. 

This means that instead of local method calls between components, you have network calls that pass information between independent microservices. APIs serve as the communication tools in cloud-native applications, allowing products and services to connect seamlessly without knowing the details of their implementation. That’s how this digital transition boosts adaptability and flexibility. 

Containers 

Containers are a fundamental technology in modern software development, providing a portable and efficient way to package applications. Each container includes the application code, its libraries, and any other necessary files, ensuring consistent performance across different environments—whether on a developer’s laptop, in a data center, or in the cloud. 

Unlike traditional virtual machines that require a full operating system, containers share the host system’s OS, making them lightweight and highly efficient. This allows multiple containers to run on a single machine without interfering with each other. Additionally, one of the key characteristics of containers is their ephemeral nature—they can be created, destroyed, and replaced at any time, enabling seamless scaling and rapid recovery. 

Among the most important features are: 

• Containers bundle an application and its dependencies into a single unit, simplifying deployment. 

• Each container maintains its own dependencies and runtime, allowing for different configurations. 

• They isolate microservices from the underlying infrastructure, improving security and stability. 

• Containers can be deployed anywhere—on-premises, in hybrid environments, or in the cloud—ensuring portability. 

• Orchestration systems, such as Kubernetes, automatically manage container lifecycles, scaling them based on demand and ensuring high availability. 

By leveraging these capabilities, containers streamline the development process, making applications more resilient, scalable, and easier to manage. 

(CI/CD and beyond) 

The cloud-first principle emphasizes the need for organizations to streamline their software delivery processes. As Gartner predicts, by 2027, 80% of organizations will incorporate DevOps platforms, a significant increase from 25% in 2023. But what exactly does DevOps encompass, and how does it strengthen cloud development? 

DevOps is much more than just Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). It represents a cultural and technical shift that bridges the gap between development and operations, ensuring that software teams can work efficiently without unnecessary bottlenecks. Traditionally, developers had to rely on system administrators to configure environments, deploy applications, or grant permissions. With DevOps, these responsibilities are streamlined, enabling a single role that combines development and operational expertise to facilitate faster, smoother software delivery. 

One key practice in DevOps is Infrastructure as Code (IaC), which allows teams to automate the setup of platforms and applications. Infrastructure and deployments become consistent and repeatable, making it easier to connect to source control repositories and integrate with CI/CD pipelines. 

• Continuous Integration (CI) involves regularly merging code changes from different developers into a shared repository, ensuring that everyone’s work fits together. 

• Continuous Delivery (CD) builds on this by preparing these changes for deployment into production environments. 

Beyond CI/CD, DevOps is fundamentally about automation. It extends to areas such as: 

• Automated infrastructure management to dynamically scale environments based on demand. 

• Garbage collection and cleanup processes to optimize resource usage. 

• Schedulers and automated workflows for recurring tasks, backups, and monitoring. 

By embracing these techniques, DevOps fosters collaboration, minimizes manual interventions, and reduces the time it takes to transform ideas—such as new features or bug fixes—into valuable updates for users. 

The main idea behind cloud development is to employ loosely coupled, resilient, and highly manageable systems. With comprehensive automation and self-service capabilities, developers can implement high-impact changes with minimal friction, ensuring agility and efficiency at scale. 

Benefits of cloud-native development for connected applications 

Cloud-native development offers a number of advantages for connected applications. How does it improve performance and scalability? Or how does it foster collaboration across teams? Let’s explore some of the key benefits that make cloud-native development so impactful. 

Improved performance 

According to an IBM report, better performance is the top benefit valued by application developers and IT executives. By allowing cloud providers to manage the underlying infrastructure, developers can concentrate on delivering value in their applications without getting bogged down by infrastructure concerns. 

Scalability 

Cloud-native applications are built with microservices, easily updated and scaled in real-time. This means you can modify a small part of a live application without disrupting the entire system. You only need to scale the services that require more processing power, ensuring optimal performance while minimizing risk. 

Enhanced collaboration 

Cloud-native development fosters collaboration among team members. With total control over the application lifecycle, teams are encouraged to take risks and innovate. Developers respond more effectively to customer feedback, leading to continuous improvement of the product. 

Platform independence 

Containers play a crucial role in providing portability and consistency across different environments. This enables organizations to transfer microservices between various cloud providers without being locked into a single vendor or infrastructure. As a result, businesses can leverage the best services from multiple cloud providers. 

Cost-effectiveness 

One of the significant advantages of cloud-native development is its cost-effectiveness. Resources can be dynamically adjusted based on demand, leading to lower operational costs. Unlike traditional monolithic applications that typically require vertical scaling (adding resources to a single server), cloud-native applications can scale horizontally, allowing for more efficient resource utilization. 

Decreased time to market 

The agile development process inherent in cloud-native approaches enables teams to quickly build and deliver applications in response to customer needs. Individual services are developed and deployed independently, facilitating the rollout of new features and ensuring flexibility in resource management. 

Best practices for cloud-native development 

The cloud development process necessitates a shift in your approach to application delivery. Their development involves adherence to the following best practices: 

• Design applications using microservices that oversee specific tasks and interact through clear APIs, minimizing coupling between services. Alternatively, consider serverless architectures, which eliminate the need for managing infrastructure and offer cost-efficient, event-driven execution. Serverless computing allows organizations to pay only for actual compute usage, making it a powerful alternative to microservices in scenarios where resource efficiency is a priority. 

• Automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containers using orchestration tools like Kubernetes. This enhances predictability and stability by isolating applications, allowing them to run on any host with the appropriate container runtime. 

• Adopt agile methodologies to expedite feature releases. Implement CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment, and utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC). 

• Continuously monitor system performance by collecting metrics, logs, and traces. Use tools like Prometheus or Grafana to enable proactive troubleshooting and performance analysis. 

• Embed security measures into the development lifecycle with automated testing tools, recovery plans, and autonomous scaling to ensure robust protection against vulnerabilities. 

• Implement secured communication methods, encryption, and strict access controls. Apply the least privilege principle and use automated testing to identify compliance issues in real-time. 

Cloud development is a balance between addressing market needs and ensuring quality assurance. Launching an application too early can lead to security vulnerabilities or limited usability due to missing features. Conversely, when development takes too long, the product may no longer align with market demands at launch, causing users to lose interest.

To navigate this challenge, effective cloud consulting combines strategic planning with technical expertise. By focusing on both immediate requirements and long-term goals, businesses can deliver robust solutions that resonate with users. 

AIOps and serverless computing transform the cloud landscape 

The cloud development market stills evolves and two significant trends emerge:  

• AIOps, with a valuation of $1.5 billion, employs AI to enhance IT operations, improving anomaly detection and automated remediation. With a projected growth rate of 15% through 2025, how can your organization leverage this technology to streamline operations? 

• With serverless computing, cloud providers take full control of the underlying infrastructure, dynamically scale resources based on application needs, and charge only for actual usage.

By leveraging the latest technologies for cloud-native development, you can drive innovation and stay ahead in today’s dynamic environment. Now is the time to transform your cloud strategy and reap the benefits of a more agile, competitive organization. 

Passion And Execution

Who We Are

At Holisticon Connect, our core values of Passion and Execution drive us toward a Promising Future. We are a hands-on tech company that places people at the centre of everything we do. Specializing in Custom Software Development, Cloud and Operations, Bespoke Data Visualisations, Engineering & Embedded services, we build trust through our promise to deliver and a no-drama approach. We are committed to delivering reliable and effective solutions, ensuring our clients can count on us to meet their needs with integrity and excellence. 

more about Holisticon Connect