GC - #27 Our 2025 Cloud Native Predictions

Show notes

Giant Conversations Episode #27

Topic Cloud Native Predictions for 2025 from Giant Swarm Hosted by:

• Tommy Hobin
• Oliver Thylmann

Last year's predictions: Was Oli right?

• Decision making will be a people topic
• CNCF will gain in strength and add key projects CNCF Project List and CNCF Project Count
• More companies or projects will fold or merge
• The IDP, Internal Developer Platform trend will go full force
• GitOps becomes the standard
• Edge clusters gain traction
• AI Ops is a thing

- Community forks for Open Source projects on the horizon

Main topic: Cloud native predictions for 2025

Looking Ahead: 2025's Unfolding Story

Predictions gathered from Swarmalicious:

1. Gateway API: The release of Gateway API v1.2.0 in November 2024 introduced features such as WebSocket support, timeouts, and retries

The upcoming Gateway API v1.3 is expected to be released around the end of January 2025. It will possibly include:

• Expanded Protocol Support
• Enhanced Configuration Options
• Improved Observability
• Authentication and Security Enhancements
• Better Cross-Cluster and Multi-Tenancy Support
• User experience and usability (UI)

2. Stronger focus on UI: Flux, Headlamp, Backstage etc.:

Why Together They Matter and complement each other:

• Flux ensures operational consistency through GitOps.
• Headlamp simplifies operational management for Kubernetes clusters.
• Backstage abstracts Kubernetes details to enhance developer productivity.

This will help solve: Developer and Operator Alignment: Together, they bridge the gap between infrastructure operators and application developers. Improved Kubernetes Adoption: By addressing different pain points, these tools lower the barrier for Kubernetes adoption across organizations.

3. More indie community activity. KCDs and more "grassroots" style events and communities (the CNCF is still very active in these):

• DevOpsDays
• KCDs
• CloudNativeDay events
• Industry-Specific Kubernetes Communities Financial Services: FinOps Foundation, Cloud Native Financial Services Day (CNCF) Healthcare and Life Sciences: HealthTech User Groups (Focus on HIPPA Compliance and Security) Telecommunications: Open Networking Foundation, Kubernetes in Telco (CNCF SIG) Gaming: Game Developers Kubernetes Group, Open GameStack Initiative Manufacturing: CNCF IoT Edge Working Group, Industry 4.0 Kubernetes Group Retail and E-Commerce: Retail Kubernetes Users Group, CNCF App Delivery SIG Automotive: Autoware Foundation, CNCF Edge Computing SIG

4. Formalisation in the platform space around capabilities and maturity:

This formalization is driven by the need to manage complexity, foster innovation, and ensure scalable, secure, and reliable platform ecosystems.

• Platform Capability Frameworks
• Maturity Models
• Governance and Compliance
• Metrics for Measuring Maturity
• Collaboration Between Teams
• Adoption of Standards
• Emphasis on Innovation and Adaptability