Today, Cisco released its first update to the Cisco Global Cloud Index (GCI), covering the 2011 to 2016 forecast period. This annual report is our ongoing effort to predict the growth of global and regional data center and cloud-based IP traffic as well as analysis of the trends associated with data center virtualization and cloud computing. Here are just a few of the key projections in this year’s report:

Global data center traffic

• Global data center IP traffic will increase nearly four-fold over the next 5 years (reaching 6.6 zettabytes by the end of 2016). Overall, data center IP traffic will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 percent from 2011 to 2016.

Data center virtualization and cloud computing transition

• By 2016, nearly two-thirds of all data center workloads will be processed in the cloud (as opposed to less virtualized traditional IT servers). In 2011, 30 percent of workloads were processed in the cloud, with 70 percent being handled in a traditional data center.

Global cloud traffic

• Global cloud IP traffic will increase six-fold over the next 5 years (reaching 4.3 zettabytes by the end of 2016). Overall, cloud IP traffic will grow at a 44% CAGR from 2011 -- 2016.
• Global cloud IP traffic will account for nearly two-thirds of total data center traffic by 2016.

And this year, we’ve added more forecast granularity—projecting cloud traffic (and other metrics) for all six global regions: Read More »

Tags: cloud, cloud network, data center, datacenter, global cloud index, Service Provider, visual networking index, vni

With the emergence of cloud computing, our customers have looked for real-world data that could help them understand the nature and scope of the cloud phenomenon. But that kind of data has not been readily available.

Not satisfied with this lack of information, a research team at Cisco reviewed 30Tb of data each month, more than 45 million speed tests, analyst forecasts, and inputs from our customers.  The result?

Today, Cisco released its first Cisco Global Cloud Index report — a forecast of IP data center and cloud-based traffic growth and trends worldwide, 2010-2015.

Similar to the Cisco Visual Networking Index in purpose and approach, the Global Cloud Index enables organizations to make strategic networking and management decisions and governments to make informed public policy decisions.

Some highlights from the report reveal: (all data global)

1.    Cloud traffic is growing twice as fast as data center traffic, increasing from 130 exabytes in 2010 to 1.6 zettabytes annually by 2015

• 1.6 zettabytes is approximately equivalent to 22 trillion hours of streaming music
• 76% of this traffic will remain within the data center itself
• By 2015, 57% of all data workloads will be processed in the cloud Read More »

Tags: cloud, cloud network, data center, datacenter, global cloud index, Service Provider, visual networking index, vni