In his "Cloud Computing Year in Review," David Linthicum offers a clear, opinionated look at how the cloud landscape has actually changed versus what was just hype. He situates these developments within the broader history of cloud, showing which "new" ideas are actually rediscoveries of long standing architectural principles. He walks through the major trends of the year – from the rise of multi cloud and FinOps to the deep integration of AI, data, and cloud native architectures – and explains what they mean in practical terms for enterprises. Rather than simply listing technologies, Linthicum focuses on business impact: cost optimization, complexity management, governance, and the ongoing struggle to modernize legacy systems. He highlights where cloud providers delivered real innovation, where they fell short, and how issues like security, resilience, and skills gaps shaped real world adoption. Throughout, his tone is pragmatic and slightly skeptical, cutting through marketing buzz to emphasize architecture, operations, and value realization. The review closes by outlining what IT leaders should carry into the coming year: a stronger focus on measurable outcomes, smarter use of multi cloud, tighter alignment between cloud strategy and data/AI strategy, and a renewed emphasis on talent and culture as key enablers of successful cloud transformation.
Since you didn't specify a particular year, this is written to fit his typical annual "year in review" style. Would you like me to tailor this to a specific year or adjust the tone for an academic or professional audience?