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The analyst of the developer economy | formerly known as VisionMobile
SlashData © Copyright 2023 | Some rights reserved
 Liam Dodd
Senior Market Research Analyst
Liam is a researcher with an interest in data
analytics and its ability to impact society.
He holds a PhD in Physics, and previously
worked generating intelligence and insights
for the European automotive market.
[email protected]

Brayton Noll
Senior Market Research Analyst
Brayton Noll is a behavioral scientist with a
background in climate change and
environmental research. He holds a PhD from TU
Delft in computational social-science with his
thesis focusing on human behavioral dynamics
and climate adaptation. He has five years of
experience working with data analytics.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS [email protected]

3
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

6 KEY INSIGHTS

INTRODUCTION 7
CURRENT INTEREST IN AND
11 PERCEPTION OF DISTRIBUTED CLOUD

DISTRIBUTED CLOUD: WHAT’S MISSING

FOR DEVELOPERS?
28
DEVELOPER EXPECTATIONS OF
38 TECHNOLOGIES AND VENDOR SUPPORT

APPENDIX 46

49 METHODOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Among developers involved in building, Developer apprehensions around distributed In a positive light, developer expectations of
deploying, or managing applications in the cloud are commonly found with concerns vendors suggest developers are keen to
cloud, we find a high level of interest in about the costs of implementing and managing embrace this open, cloud-native future.
distributed cloud computing, as well as a a distributed cloud network, as well as security Developers primarily expect their cloud
significant proportion of developers already concerns that emerge from a wider threat infrastructure providers to ensure high
using distributed cloud solutions in some surface. Developers suggest that the increased reliability of uptime and a flexible and scalable
capacity. Crucially, this high level of interest is adoption and proliferation of standards for data service. This provides the backbone upon
found across all industries, but with a higher security and interoperability is important to which they can build and begin to take
interest in industries like data analytics. The assist their own adoption of distributed cloud advantage of all of the benefits and
developers surveyed were frequently most solutions. opportunities they previously outlined.
motivated and intrigued by features that help
them to better serve their customers with However, while there is a high level of interest
lower latency and a better ability to scale and excitement from cloud developers around
services across a range of geographies. distributed cloud, many may find themselves
unprepared once this future arrives. Many
observations throughout this study suggest
that developers may still be viewing the
distributed cloud through a platform-centric
lens, which is impacting their imagination about
how distributed clouds operate differently from
the current legacy cloud framework.

5
 KEY INSIGHTS
• 55% of developers in this study were already using • While developers have frequently identified security as a
distributed cloud in some form during their current concern or challenge, only 38% believe that robust security
development. ➜ features should be expected from cloud infrastructure
providers. This suggests they instead expect to pick and
• The proportion of developers currently using distributed choose the best tools for their needs outside of their
cloud is higher among North American developers (61%). ➜ providers. ➜

• Across most industries, there is a high level of interest in • Developers are most likely to consider the costs of
using distributed cloud solutions. ➜ implementations (36%) and the potential for increased
security risks (35%) as their greatest concerns. ➜
• The most appealing benefit of distributed cloud is its
potential to improve the user experience due to reducing • A small percentage of developers (13%) highlight a lack of
latency (38%), followed by flexibility in scaling at different adequate infrastructure as a major obstacle, either from a
geographies (34%) and a greater capacity for handling data- genuine lack of infrastructure, or developers’ platform-
intensive applications (33%). ➜ centric perception of “infrastructure” making them unaware
of what currently exists. ➜
• Industry standards developers believe are essential for
distributed cloud computing include data security and • Developers believe that the primary responsibility of their
privacy standards (39%), followed by open cloud standards cloud infrastructure providers is to ensure high uptime and
(26%), otherwise known as interoperability. ➜ reliability (51%) and flexibility and scalability (45%). ➜

• Developers also want to see improvements for increased • Developers working in entertainment (38%), gaming (38%),
portability (22%), which will be crucial as developers move marketing (38%), and energy (34%) are more likely than
away from a platform-specific framework to one that seeks a other developers to believe more robust service level
standardized way for developers to build, deploy, and agreements (SLAs) are required for a distributed cloud
manage applications across a range of cloud infrastructure future. ➜
options. ➜

6
INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction

Software development has seen a series of monumental shifts The findings of this report are based on a survey of more than
and changes in practices and technologies over the past few 700 professional developers who deploy, build, or manage
decades. However, at every stage of new technological services and applications in the cloud, between June and July
advancement, these novel approaches have succeeded because 2023. These developers come from over 50 countries, and
they match the needs of developers, whether to serve their across a wide range of industries.
development goals or customer success. Developers are smart
and will pursue technologies that they can see and understand
the proposition value of. This report, authored by SlashData and commissioned by
Akamai, explores the perceptions of and interest in the current
state of distributed cloud. For this report, respondents were
Developers are now facing another such shift in technology with provided the following definition of distributed cloud computing:
distributed cloud computing, which has the potential to “Distributed cloud computing is the practice of decentralizing
transform the cloud computing ecosystem by bringing cloud resources and services to be physically closer to the data
processing and compute closer to the end-point consumers. The source or user, while still being managed centrally.”
potential benefits and use cases for moving compute closer to
the end users are numerous; several of which we explore in this
report. However, it is important for those developing distributed Further, this report also examines the advantages developers are
cloud computing infrastructure and solutions to listen to most interested in exploring in a distributed and decentralized
developers and understand their perceptions and likely use cases world, as well as what challenges they expect to face.
of decentralized cloud resources that are centrally managed. Developers were also asked to consider the development
This allows providers to cater to developer needs, support the standards they believe are most important, as well as which
avenues they wish to explore, as well as identify areas where technologies they feel need greater development to support
developers may need more education and information on various their adoption of a more distributed cloud.
aspects.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 8
1. Introduction

Developers in this survey were asked to identify the types of The activities of developers in this survey show clear overlaps,
cloud environments they used in a professional capacity. In with the most popular activity (55%) among these developers
addition, they were also asked to identify their involvement with being to deploy applications on a combination of both on-
various cloud-related activities. For this report, the majority of premise and cloud-based infrastructure. This sample also
developers deployed some of their projects to hybrid cloud includes a high proportion of developers who are involved in
environments (55%), with private cloud (40%), and network building strategies for load balancing (46%) and implementing
infrastructure (39%) as the next most popular deployments. security protocols (45%). Another important aspect of this
Among this developer segment, 35% identified themselves as developer population is the higher proportion of developers who
already using distributed cloud in a professional capacity. manage deployments across geographically distributed servers
(46%) than those who explicitly state they deploy to distributed
cloud (35%). This highlights that geographic distribution of
servers is a practice many developers are currently involved in,
even if they are not specifically deploying to services they call
distributed cloud.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 9
1. Introduction

The types of cloud environment(s) used and cloud-related

activities developers are involved in
% of developers (n=777)

Types of cloud environment(s) used Current cloud-related activities developers

are engaged in
Deployed applications on a combination
Hybrid cloud 53% of on-premises and cloud-based 55%
infrastructure
Engaged in application management
across different cloud environments (e.g. 49%
Private cloud 40% Kubernetes)

Managed deployment across

geographically distributed servers 46%
Network infrastructure
(incl. fog/edge computing) 39%
Built strategies for load balancing,
failover, or data synchronization across 46%
multiple cloud environments
Multicloud 39%
Managed a content delivery network
(CDN) or similar system to optimize 45%
delivery

Distributed cloud 35% Implemented security protocols across

various cloud providers 45%

Single public cloud 34% Implemented edge computing

technologies 40%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 10
 CURRENT INTEREST IN AND
PERCEPTION OF DISTRIBUTED CLOUD
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

In this chapter, we establish the current level of familiarity, usage, Of the developers who are not already using distributed cloud
and interest of distributed cloud solutions by the developers services but are interested in learning more, we see that interest
surveyed. We also dive into how interest in distributed cloud is very high. 65% of these developers were either very or
varies by the industries that developers are involved in. This is extremely interested in distributed cloud solutions. This interest
followed by a look at the potential benefits that excite is higher for developers with more familiarity with distributed
developers the most about using a distributed cloud solution, as cloud. Of those who were somewhat familiar, 74% of developers
well as how this varies by the industry that developers are expressed this high level of interest, while for those who were
involved in. not very familiar, only 40% were extremely or very interested.
This suggests that as developers increase their knowledge of
distributed cloud solutions, their interest grows, likely as a
For the developers within this survey, we found that when consequence of them being able to better envision how these
developers were asked about their familiarity with distributed solutions will work with their current projects.
clouds, a very high percentage were using distributed cloud
services (55%) in some capacity during their development. This
high usage suggests that there are many developers who are
beginning to adapt their processes to a more decentralized and
distributed world. Further, among the developers surveyed,
there is a very small minority (7%) who are neither familiar nor
interested in distributed cloud services. This again highlights that
many developers are continually exploring and looking for new
directions they can take their solutions in, with a much smaller
proportion expressing disinterest in this.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 12
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Industry deep-dive

Developers working in data analytics or business intelligence In addition to observed differences based on the industries
show the highest level of interest in distributed cloud solutions, developers work in, we also see regional differences in familiarity
with 81% indicating that they are either extremely or very and interest. A larger proportion of North American developers
interested. However, of this 81% of developers, only a quarter are are very familiar with distributed cloud (61%) compared to their
extremely interested in distributed cloud solutions. Comparing Western European counterparts (51%). However, 70% of Western
this to those in education and/or academic research and SaaS, European developers who are not very familiar with distributed
who have an overall lower proportion of developers in the very clouds are extremely or very interested, compared to 60% of
or extremely interested group, a higher proportion say they are North American developers. This suggests that while adoption
extremely interested. may be greater in North America, this is not due to a lack of
interest in the space. Instead, North America may just be ahead
of the curve, with more of these interested developers having
This observation underscores the nuanced approaches required already started working with distributed cloud solutions, possibly
when engaging developers across diverse industries about to improve their global reach.
distributed cloud solutions. For instance, developers in data
analytics/business intelligence and ecommerce are likely
recognizing the broader benefits of distributed cloud solutions
for their sector. The potential for real-time data analytics and
scalability in these sectors is evident. However, within SaaS
companies, interest can be more intricately tied to a developer's
specific experience and projects.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 13
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Developers' familiarity with distributed cloud services

% of developers (n=777)

55%

28%

10%
7%

Very familiar - I actively work with Somewhat familiar - I have a basic Not very familiar, but I am interested Not familiar at all, and I am not
distributed cloud services understanding of distributed cloud in learning more about distributed interested in learning about
services cloud services distributed cloud services

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 14
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Interest in distributed cloud solutions by the industry

involvement of developers
% of developers involved in each industry (n=295)

Slightly interested Moderately interested Very interested Extremely interested

Data analytics / business intelligence products and services 2% 18% 56% 25%

Business consulting, legal services, HR & recruitment services 2% 20% 49% 29%

E-commerce and retail 25% 51% 24%

Software products and services, SaaS 7% 20% 41% 32%

Education, training, and academic research 2% 36% 29% 33%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 15
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Industry deep-dive

The leading benefit that developers find appealing about The industry a developer works in is also seen to lead to different
distributed cloud solutions is their potential to improve user priorities of benefits, frequently related to specific use cases of
experience due to reducing latency (38%). As both an easy-to- interest to their industry-specific requirements. For example,
envision benefit and a current problem that developers face, this those in government or defense (32%), entertainment (32%), or
is likely the motivation for many developers choosing it. transportation and logistics (31%) show a higher interest in
Flexibility in scaling in different geographies (34%) and a greater innovations from local computing power. With innovations in
capacity for handling data-intensive applications (33%) are the warehouse automation, smart cities, and local processing for
second and third most popular benefits. gaming applications, there are immediate and clear use cases in
these industries. Those in gaming also show a higher interest in
flexibility for scaling in different geographic locations (40%). This
However, the least popular benefit selected by developers in our feature would allow game developers to responsively and
survey is the potential for innovation with localized computing efficiently scale their services to match and support the needs of
power (23%). This stands as one of the benefits that distributed players.
clouds offer to developers that differentiates it from other cloud
solutions, and its low ranking as a benefit likely represents a lack
of knowledge and information about the uses of distributed Meanwhile, those in data analytics rank greater capacity for
clouds in real-world applications. This may stem from developers handling data processing highest (41%) as they have a clear
viewing distributed cloud solutions through the lens of benefit for such capabilities. This is especially relevant with the
traditional edge computing, rather than recognizing its broader current rise of AI, where heavy compute may still be done
potential to create novel experiences. Further, it may suggest centrally, but data ingestion and more lightweight compute will
that developers are still viewing distributed clouds from a be done closer to the edge. Those in telecommunications
platform-centric view and therefore have yet to imagine how considered reduced latency as their greatest potential benefit
they could utilize a distributed cloud system’s local compute. (45%) due to the importance of real-time communication and
exchange of information in this sector.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 16
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Most appealing benefit of using a distributed cloud solution

% of developers involved in each industry (n=719)

Improved user experience due to reduced latency 38%

Flexibility in scaling in different geographical locations 34%

Greater capacity for handling data-intensive applications 33%

Cost-effectiveness due to localized resources 33%

Increased resilience due to geographical distribution 30%

Improved support for remote workforce 29%

Enhanced support for real-time applications 27%

Enhanced data sovereignty through precise location control 25%

Potential for innovation with localized compute power 23%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 17
 2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

The most appealing benefits of a distributed cloud by the

industry that developers are involved in
% of developers in each industry (n=719)

Industry Involvement

services, HR & recruitment

Entertainment, media, and

Marketing and advertising

Business consulting, legal

intelligence products and

Government and defense

Telecommunications and
Data analytics / business

Education, training, and

Software products and

electricity, and water)
Ecommerce and retail

Energy (incl. oil, gas,

artificial intelligence
Machine learning or
Financial services &

biotechnology, and

Transportation and
academic research

Gaming (software,

pharmaceuticals
Health, medical,
gambling, etc.)

services, SaaS
information

networks

logistics
services

services

services
banking
Benefits of distributed cloud

Improved user experience due to reduced latency 37% 33% 39% 41% 34% 36% 36% 32% 38% 40% 34% 34% 40% 45% 33%
Increased resilience due to geographical distribution 31% 31% 32% 34% 26% 30% 33% 34% 28% 20% 34% 28% 34% 29% 28%
developers are most

Enhanced data sovereignty through precise location control 29% 30% 25% 26% 32% 28% 30% 30% 17% 29% 23% 29% 24% 26% 29%
interested in

Flexibility in scaling in different geographical locations 40% 35% 35% 34% 33% 42% 38% 40% 35% 39% 36% 45% 34% 36% 37%
Cost-effectiveness due to localized resources 39% 33% 32% 32% 41% 39% 33% 36% 45% 34% 36% 38% 37% 36% 38%
Potential for innovation with localized compute power 28% 26% 24% 23% 32% 32% 28% 27% 32% 27% 23% 20% 22% 27% 31%
Enhanced support for real-time applications 27% 26% 29% 32% 35% 33% 23% 31% 28% 27% 38% 37% 28% 32% 32%
Greater capacity for handling data-intensive applications 28% 41% 28% 23% 26% 23% 27% 35% 29% 27% 37% 34% 35% 30% 34%
Improved support for remote workforce 30% 28% 31% 31% 21% 28% 36% 25% 33% 32% 27% 23% 26% 30% 30%

>5pp below the 2.5 – 5pp below the ±2.5pp around the 2.5 – 5pp above the >5pp above the
average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other
cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 18
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Best use cases

Industry deep-dive

Further to the benefits developers find most appealing about Unsurprisingly, the belief in big data as the best use case is even
distributed clouds, they were asked what they believe are the higher among those working in data analytics (53%) but is also
use cases that are most likely to benefit from distributed cloud highest among those in business consulting (49%),
solutions. This differs from the potential benefits by asking entertainment and media (49%), and ecommerce (47%). These
developers to instead indicate which areas of development are industries also work with large amounts of data to be analyzed
most likely to benefit from distributed clouds, independent of and processed, with key decisions also being data driven, leading
their own development needs. them to envision this as the greatest use case for distributed
cloud solutions. As one example, both entertainment and
ecommerce employ complex algorithms to display the most
Big data and analytics is the use case suggested by most relevant content to their users. Distributed cloud technology has
developers as the best use case for distributed cloud solutions the potential to allow big data to be input, processed, and have
(48%). This is followed by real-time applications (42%) and decisions determined closer to the end-user, while still having
machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads centralized servers to engage in the heavy processing to adapt
(39%). As mentioned previously, the new approach to AI may the overall algorithms.
push compute closer to the edge, which is likely behind the
relative popularity of this option, as well as the overall popularity
of big data and analytics as the best use case.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 19
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

However, not all developers believe their area of development is The gaming sector has long deployed geographically distributed
going to be the best use case, as those in gaming or finance content servers, peer-to-peer networking, and player-rentable
don’t view benefits to their real-time applications as the best use servers to improve experiences for their players. As such, while
cases (45% and 42%, respectively). Instead, this use case is not an unpopular best use case, these developers may be
suggested more by those in marketing and advertising (49%) content with their current approaches and are not considering
and ML/AI (46%). While this may initially seem counterintuitive, distributed cloud with the same importance and urgency as
those in marketing and ML/AI have clear benefits for improved those in other business operations.
real-time applications, for more accurate and reactive
advertising solutions, and for deploying ML/AI applications to
users that can adapt in real-time. Blockchains and distributed ledgers is the least selected best use
case (25%), likely as a result of this both being a smaller area of
active development and the current “crypto-winter” and Web3
Those in financial services instead consider disaster recovery as dip that the technology sector is weathering. However, we see
the greatest use case, key for service continuity in the modern that those in the energy sector show considerably more belief in
world of instantaneous financial transactions. Those in the this being the best use case of distributed cloud solutions (39%).
gaming industry consider remote workforce support as the With many in the energy sector being excited about the
greatest use case, reflective of the globally distributed and potential of smart contracts and distributed ledgers to
collaborative studios that exist in contemporary game revolutionize the energy market, their more positive view of this
development. There are many possible explanations for why use case demonstrates how developers can have different
those in gaming rank lower real-time applications as the best use visions of how to use distributed cloud computing based on their
case than other sectors, but it may also be a consequence of the market aims.
legacy of the gaming sector’s decades-long battle to reduce
latency.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 20
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Developer perceptions of what the best use cases are for

distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=769)

Big data and analytics 48%

Real-time applications (gaming, financial transactions, etc.) 42%

AI and machine learning workloads 39%

Remote workforce support 38%

Disaster recovery and business continuity 35%

IoT and device data processing 34%

Distributed ledgers/blockchain applications 25%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 21
 2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Perception of the best use cases for distributed cloud solutions

by developer’s industry involvement
% of developers in each industry (n=769)

Industry involvement

and academic research

Software products and

Entertainment, media,
electricity, and water)
products and services

Ecommerce and retail

Artificial Intelligence

Telecommunications
business intelligence

Energy (incl. oil, gas,

recruitment services
Business consulting,

Machine-learning or

advertising services
Financial services &
Education, training,
legal services, HR &

biotechnology, and

Transportation and
Gaming (software,

Government and

pharmaceuticals
and information

Health, medical,
Data analytics /

gambling, etc.)

Marketing and

services, SaaS

and networks

logistics
banking

defense
Big data and analytics 49% 53% 47% 46% 36% 49% 42% 42% 39% 41% 45% 44% 44% 42% 43%
Best use cases for
distributed cloud

Real-time applications (gaming, financial transactions, etc.) 40% 39% 45% 41% 46% 46% 45% 42% 42% 42% 46% 49% 40% 39% 42%

AI and machine learning workloads 46% 44% 39% 40% 40% 36% 42% 42% 26% 39% 57% 39% 42% 43% 43%

Remote workforce support 35% 42% 37% 43% 35% 35% 36% 45% 49% 41% 34% 33% 40% 40% 33%

Disaster recovery and business continuity 40% 34% 35% 41% 46% 43% 48% 44% 51% 49% 34% 49% 41% 42% 43%

IoT and device data processing 38% 38% 39% 30% 42% 42% 30% 37% 36% 28% 37% 46% 40% 39% 45%

Distributed ledgers/blockchain applications 32% 30% 26% 28% 39% 28% 31% 35% 33% 33% 29% 29% 27% 35% 27%

>5pp below the 2.5 – 5pp below the ±2.5pp around the 2.5 – 5pp above the >5pp above the
average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other
cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 22
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Challenges

To conclude the chapter on current perceptions, we asked Integrating manufacturing timelines, delivery schedules,
developers to identify what they believe will be their greatest warehouse maintenance, and final-mile distribution are just a few
challenges in migrating to, building applications for, or managing examples of system components that need to work
distributed cloud solutions. synchronously. While distributed cloud solutions can improve
many aspects of the systems, such as allowing warehouses to be
managed locally, there are risks associated with the
The three leading challenges developers expect from distributed (mis)management across multiple components that have the
cloud solutions are cost concerns (36%), potential security risks potential to cascade into a wider range of problems. Under
(35%), and the complexity of managing distributed systems traditional cloud solutions, centralized control and compute
(35%). These challenges are also listed by substantially more minimizes the risk of such desynchronizations, and as such, is
developers, at least a third, compared to other challenges, which something that will be a major concern for developers involved
are listed by around a quarter of developers. Cost concerns is in this sector when considering distributed cloud.
the most commonly listed challenge for developers across most
industries, with three very notable exceptions: transportation
and logistics, financial services, and government and defense. Developers in finance or government and defense, however, are
more likely to indicate challenges around security (41% and 39%)
Industry deep-dive than cost (36% and 26%). Security presents risks across all
industries, but within financial services and government and
For those in transportation and logistics, the complexity of defense, the stakes are generally higher, due to their ownership
managing distributed systems is much more likely to be selected of privileged and private information for a wide range of people
(42% vs 30%), as well as concerns about increased latency for that can lead to not only the organization being at risk, but their
certain applications (38%). customers/citizens, too.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 23
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Difficulty in managing and tracking resource usage is selected by Further, those in the gaming industry are among the most likely
less than a quarter of all developers surveyed (23%) but is to list concerns about latency in their applications (35%). As
selected by almost a third of developers in transportation and highlighted, performance for online and multiplayer games is an
logistics (33%) or gaming (31%). With the issues developers in area the gaming industry has worked hard to improve over the
logistics have with many complicated systems interacting decades, and technologies or processes that may increase ping
together, different demands and different times may make this a are going to create unhappy customers. Even if distributed cloud
larger concern for these developers. can improve performance, it is going to be a central concern for
this sector.

For those in gaming, the modern gaming industry requires

managing multiple content servers for different services as well
as network infrastructure to connect up to millions of players
simultaneously, on top of any backend services that support
such online games. This is all on top of ensuring that any issues
are localized and don’t impact a wide swathe of players.
Introducing greater decentralization has the potential to make
this even more complex if developers are not adequately skilled
and may seem like a daunting task.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 24
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

For developers in SaaS companies and the data analytics sector, A relatively stark difference in the perceived challenges between
concerns about the cost of implementing and managing these two industries is around increased latency in certain
distributed cloud solutions is the leading challenge, but those in applications. Developers at SaaS organizations are the least
data analytics are more likely to list security risks (36%) than concerned about increased latency (27%), reflecting their
those in SaaS (33%). With those in data analytics having more primary focus on feature development and usability rather than
specific exposure to security and breach risks, they are more real-time application responsiveness. This can also be seen with
likely to be aware and focused on preventing any exposure of these developers’ lower selection of real-time applications as the
their sensitive data. best use case (40%) compared to developers in other sectors.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 25
2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Developers’ biggest perceived challenges or drawbacks about

distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=715)

High costs of implementation and maintenance 36%

Potential security risks due to distribution 35%

Complexity of managing distributed systems 35%

Regulatory compliance issues with data in multiple locations 27%

Limited availability of skilled professionals for distributed cloud 27%

Difficulty in ensuring consistent performance 25%

Increased latency for certain applications 25%

Potential data sovereignty issues 25%

Difficulty in managing and tracking resource usage 23%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 26
 2. Current interest in and perception of distributed cloud

Developers’ biggest perceived challenges or drawbacks about

distributed cloud solutions by industry involvement
% of developers in each industry (n=715)

Industry involvement

and academic research

Software products and

Entertainment, media,
electricity, and water)
products and services

Ecommerce and retail

Artificial Intelligence

Telecommunications
business intelligence

Energy (incl. oil, gas,

recruitment services
Business consulting,

Machine-learning or

advertising services
Financial services &
legal services, HR &

Education, training,

biotechnology, and

Transportation and
Gaming (software,

Government and

pharmaceuticals
and information

Health, medical,
Data analytics /

gambling, etc.)

Marketing and

services, SaaS

and networks

logistics
banking

defense
Complexity of managing distributed systems 29% 31% 34% 36% 32% 39% 35% 34% 29% 36% 29% 37% 33% 30% 42%

Potential security risks due to distribution 37% 36% 35% 39% 31% 33% 41% 30% 39% 32% 27% 26% 33% 35% 25%
distributed cloud

Increased latency for certain applications 37% 31% 23% 27% 35% 31% 23% 35% 33% 34% 29% 37% 27% 31% 38%
Challenges of

Difficulty in ensuring consistent performance 27% 22% 24% 27% 27% 25% 19% 27% 29% 25% 25% 26% 25% 26% 25%

High costs of implementation and maintenance 33% 40% 33% 39% 40% 37% 36% 35% 26% 43% 39% 35% 41% 37% 30%

Limited availability of skilled professionals for distributed cloud 29% 31% 33% 29% 34% 27% 29% 34% 33% 27% 33% 32% 27% 31% 22%

Regulatory compliance issues with data in multiple locations 29% 27% 31% 27% 24% 31% 27% 29% 22% 25% 31% 32% 29% 30% 36%

Potential data sovereignty issues 27% 27% 27% 29% 35% 29% 30% 26% 33% 27% 32% 31% 26% 27% 28%

Difficulty in managing and tracking resource usage 24% 23% 20% 24% 21% 27% 25% 31% 29% 24% 26% 22% 23% 23% 33%

>5pp below the 2.5 – 5pp below the ±2.5pp around the 2.5 – 5pp above the >5pp above the
average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other average of all other
cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row cells within each row

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 27
DISTRIBUTED CLOUD: WHAT’S MISSING
FOR DEVELOPERS?
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Next, we asked developers what they feel is missing from We began by asking developers to identify features they feel are
distributed cloud solutions, focusing on three questions. Firstly, if lacking. Developers overall are most likely to feel clear cost
they could influence the future direction of distributed cloud savings (30%), more robust security features (27%), and
technology, what would they prioritize for increased adoption? enhanced tools for managing distributed systems (26%) were
What standards do they believe are essential for distributed features they consider the most important to improve. However,
cloud computing to be a viable option? And, lastly, what are the the next most commonly selected option is the lack of skilled
current obstacles and limitations preventing them from utilizing professionals (24%). Cloud development has been a dominant
distributed cloud in their own projects? practice in software development for many years and has
created many developers with deep experience, and distributed
cloud technology introduces new challenges that require
different technical experience. Furthermore, a distributed cloud
requires a move away from a platform-centric view of cloud
development and necessitates different development styles and
approaches.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 29
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Industry deep-dive

Developers involved in entertainment (38%), gaming (38%), Those in the gaming sector are also some of the most likely to
marketing (38%), and energy (34%) are more likely to suggest a highlight a greater need for skilled professionals (30%). Those in
greater need for more robust service level agreements (SLAs). the gaming industry have previously indicated concerns about
While a less technical aspect of support, their importance in latency issues, as well as managing resources, and are therefore
outlining the performance, uptime, resource allocations, latency, hesitant to move their services unless they can guarantee the
and throughput, among other aspects, means that they can be same performance, at a minimum. As such, professionals with
critical in a distributed cloud. The energy sector has specific relevant and applicable skills are going to be crucial for any
requirements for real-time data and monitoring of infrastructure, wider adoption, allowing these developers to ensure they can
as well as for regulatory compliance that are likely driving a maintain a happy customer base.
greater importance on more robust SLAs. While the needs in
different industries vary, SLAs that address the needs of
developers, for both their development and business needs, are While cost-effectiveness is commonly selected by all developers,
likely to increase in importance to many developers. it is highest among those in SaaS (35%). SaaS is a business model
focused on scalability. As a result, they may be more sensitive to
the cost-effectiveness of their hosting solutions than other areas,
and how these costs react as a service is scaled up. However,
these concerns may be amplified by developers considering their
services through the current platform-centric mindset, where
data egress and transfer costs can rapidly spiral, which can be
approached differently under a distributed cloud solution.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 30
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Advancements or improvements developers would prioritize to

encourage adoption of distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=719)

Clear cost savings and cost-effectiveness 30%

More robust security measures 27%

Enhanced tools for managing distributed systems 26%

Greater availability of skilled professionals 24%

Improved data sovereignty control 23%

Increased portability across different systems 22%

Better support for real-time or low-latency applications 22%

More robust Service Level Agreements 20%

Vendors adopting open cloud standards 17%

Success stories in similar use-cases 15%

More comprehensive vendor support 15%

None, the current state of distributed cloud computing
8%
is sufficient for encouraging adoption or migration

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 31
 3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Advancements or improvements developers would prioritize to

encourage adoption of distributed cloud solutions, by their industry
involvement
% of developers in each industry (n=719)
Industry involvement

Artificial Intelligence

Telecommunications
business intelligence

Energy (incl. oil, gas,

recruitment services
Business consulting,

Machine-learning or

advertising services
Financial services &
legal services, HR &

Education, training,

biotechnology, and

Transportation and
Software products
Gaming (software,

and services, SaaS

Government and

pharmaceuticals
Ecommerce and

Health, medical,
Data analytics /

gambling, etc.)
Entertainment,
electricity, and

Marketing and
and academic

and networks
products and

information
media, and
research

logistics
services

banking

defense
water)
retail
None, the current state of distributed cloud computing is
4% 3% 5% 1% 3% 4% 2% 3% 1% 0% 13% 3% 4% 6% 23%
sufficient for encouraging adoption or migration
>5pp below the
Enhanced tools for managing distributed systems 32% 26% 26% 27% 31% 27% 35% 29% 28% 34% 26% 38% 30% 33% 24% average of all other
developers would prioritise to encourage

cells within each row

More robust security measures 30% 31% 26% 31% 27% 22% 27% 27% 29% 27% 25% 22% 26% 29% 22%
Advancements or improvements

migration to distributed cloud

Greater availability of skilled professionals 24% 26% 22% 24% 21% 28% 20% 30% 32% 18% 16% 14% 21% 22% 12% 2.5 – 5pp below the
average of all other
Clear cost savings and cost-effectiveness 30% 26% 30% 29% 27% 27% 31% 32% 32% 35% 26% 26% 35% 28% 22% cells within each row

More comprehensive vendor support 14% 16% 19% 16% 17% 17% 19% 18% 19% 17% 14% 15% 16% 18% 13% ±2.5pp around the
average of all other
More robust service level agreements 26% 24% 27% 28% 34% 23% 31% 38% 26% 31% 31% 38% 23% 24% 20% cells within each row
Vendors adopting open cloud standards 19% 19% 19% 18% 17% 20% 16% 18% 17% 18% 22% 18% 18% 17% 16%
2.5 – 5pp above the
Increased portability across different systems 22% 23% 21% 28% 20% 25% 24% 27% 19% 28% 20% 22% 23% 22% 19% average of all other
cells within each row
Success stories in similar use-cases 15% 16% 14% 17% 19% 16% 15% 13% 12% 15% 12% 17% 14% 12% 13%

Improved data sovereignty control 27% 29% 25% 30% 33% 26% 27% 26% 33% 28% 27% 31% 27% 31% 23% >5pp above the
average of all other
Better support for real-time or low-latency applications 22% 25% 22% 24% 25% 27% 30% 21% 26% 24% 23% 34% 27% 21% 28% cells within each row

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 32
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Following surveying developers about features that are currently The second most commonly selected option was for open cloud
missing from distributed cloud solutions, we examined which standards. In a distributed cloud world, open standards, or
standards developers would like to see implemented in this interoperability, moves from a benefit to developers to a crucial
sector before they migrate services to a distributed cloud. Data aspect of allowing applications and services to work seamlessly
security and privacy standards were in the clear lead at 39%. across multiple cloud environments. This is also reflected in the
However, security and privacy standards can cover a wide range features developers want to see improvements for, where 22%
of options. We can take into account that developers have selected increased portability. Distributed cloud solutions require
previously indicated a desire for more robust security measures a fundamentally different paradigm for developers that moves
and concerns about increased security risks due to distribution, away from a platform-specific framework to one that seeks a
meaning we can hypothesize that these standards likely need to standardized way for developers to build, deploy, and manage
address the full breadth of developers’ activities. applications.

For example, developers concerned about increased security

risks from distribution may be specifically interested in end-to-
end encryption standards, to ensure that data transmitted across
multiple nodes is only accessible to those authorized to view the
data and prevent the exposure of sensitive data. Similarly, they
may also place a greater emphasis on vulnerability management
standards. With a larger attack surface, these standards can both
allow developers to better assess threats and their weak points,
as well as support well-defined processes for patching
vulnerabilities across a large distributed network.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 33
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Standards developers believe must be adopted to make

distributed cloud solutions viable
% of developers (n=774)

Data security and privacy standards 39%

Open cloud standards (interoperability) 26%

Standards for data portability 25%

Open source software utilization 22%

Standardized deployment and management (Infrastructure as Code) 22%

Cloud-native application design standards 21%

Statndard for environmental sustainability (e.g. energy efficiency) 21%

Standardized service level agreements (SLAs) 21%

Standardized performance metrics and benchmarks 20%

Standardized protocol for integration with legacy systems 19%

Standardized fault tolerance and resilience measures 18%

Vendor-neutral APIs 14%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 34
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

While developers are most likely to report that costs of The current cloud computing world leans on developers
implementation as a primary obstacle for the adoption of a developing experience and skills working within specific
distributed cloud solution (34%), it is closely followed by the lack platforms, rather than developing skills in a vendor- or platform-
of necessary skills and training (31%). There are multiple neutral manner. This introduces vendor lock-in of their skills, as
challenges associated with migrating services to a distributed well as being locked out of opportunities at organizations using
cloud solution that require additional training and skills, such as other cloud services. Similarly, organizations can also face loss of
more advanced data management or complex networking talent from wider pool of developers who are locked in to
configurations. Many of these challenges could be addressed platform-native development practices. Platform-native
through the introduction of open cloud standards, where approaches use tools and services for development and
developers are only required to become familiar and experienced deployment that are within a vendor’s ecosystem, rather than
with platform-neutral development, or a cloud-native, approach. cloud-native's open and interoperable methods. As a result, open
As this was also listed as the second most popular standard cloud standards would increase the number of developers who
developers are interested in, it indicates an overlap in can work across multiple platforms, as well as having one of the
requirements. key skills required for developing in a distributed world.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 35
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

However, developers with a greater familiarity with distributed A small number of developers (13%) highlight a lack of adequate
clouds are less likely to select open cloud standards compared to infrastructure as a major obstacle to them implementing a
developers who are not familiar. There are several possible distributed cloud. This option is more commonly selected by
explanations for this observation. One option is that while open those with a higher interest in distributed cloud, independent of
cloud standards would address some of the concerns around their familiarity. However, this can represent two different issues
developers having adequate skills and experience, the learning for developers. The first may be a genuine lack of infrastructure
curve may be less of a hurdle once developers begin to that these developers can access for any distributed cloud
familiarize themselves with implementing a distributed cloud. A projects they want to build. The other may be a perception issue,
second possibility may be that these developers have already with developers’ platform-centric development history making
begun to adopt solutions that are not reliant on cloud-native them less aware of the multiple ways that a distributed and
standards, and as such are prioritizing it less than other decentralized solution can be implemented. Education and
advancements. information about how infrastructure looks different in a
distributed model would likely be extremely informative to many
developers.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 36
3. Perceptions of distributed cloud shortfalls among developers

Current obstacles or limitations that are preventing developers

from adopting distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=349)

High costs of implementation 34%

Lack of necessary skills or training 31%

Complexity of managing distributed systems 23%

Concerns about data security 20%

No current obstacles/limitations 18%

Lack of clear advantages over current system 18%

Regulatory challenges 17%

Difficulties in convincing stakeholders of the value 15%

Uncertainty about long-term maintenance and support 15%

Lack of vendor support 13%

Inadequate infrastructure 13%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 37
 DEVELOPER EXPECTATIONS OF
TECHNOLOGIES AND VENDOR SUPPORT
4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

To conclude, we look at the specific technologies and practices This may indicate what sort of security support developers
that developers are considering when imagining a distributed expect from vendors. For example, programmers may be more
cloud future. This chapter discusses the practices that interested in vendors providing secure APIs to allow them to
developers consider the most important when managing integrate security solutions into their development processes.
distributed cloud solutions. This is followed by comparing the While those in system administrator roles may instead wish for
tools and technologies developers think are missing for a vendors to support them with regular security updates that help
distributed and decentralized cloud world against what address vulnerabilities across the wide network surface of their
developers expect from cloud infrastructure vendors in support distributed solution.
of a distributed cloud world.

Conversely, security and compliance practices are less

In the first chapter, we noted that more than one-third of commonly selected by those in DevOps specialist (25%) and site
developers indicated that security risks were a key challenge reliability engineer (22%) roles. Those in DevOps specialist roles
when moving their software to a distributed cloud platform. We are more likely to select continuous delivery/continuous
see this sentiment again in developers' responses to the deployment (CI/CD) (39%) and Infrastructure as Code (32%),
question: “Which practices are most important when managing while site reliability engineers select CI/CD (45%) and
distributed cloud solutions?” Security and compliance practices configuration management (36%) as expectations. These follow
lead as the most commonly selected option (42%). However, we logically from the roles and responsibilities of developers’ roles.
note that this is a belief especially popular among those with
programmer (38%), system administrator (39%), or
technology/engineering team lead roles (37%).

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 39
4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

Practices considered most important when managing a

distributed and decentralized cloud solution
% of developers (n=638)

Security and compliance practices 42%

Data management and analytics 32%

Monitoring and logging 26%

Continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) 25%

Configuration management 24%

Scalability and load balancing strategies 24%

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) 22%

Microservices architecture 21%

Automated testing and quality assurance 21%

Containerization (e.g. Docker, Kubernetes) 21%

Incident response 19%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 40
4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

As a final insight into the perceptions of developers surrounding Overall, developers believe that the primary responsibility of
distributed cloud platforms, we asked developers what their providers is to ensure high uptime and reliability (51%) and
technologies they think are missing to make distributed clouds flexibility and scalability (45%). This suggests that while we have
viable and what features they expect from vendors providing previously highlighted areas where developers may not have
cloud infrastructure. fully embraced what a decentralized cloud world would look like,
their expectations from vendors are closer to how this future
may be envisioned. Developers are placing a greater emphasis
Security tools were the most popularly selected technology that on vendors ensuring that their services are reliable, scalable, and
is missing or under-developed (35%) and are also similarly with a greater flexibility in terms of where and how their
commonly selected as a feature that vendors should provide applications are deployed.
(38%). However, only 42% of those who selected security tools
think “robust security features” is a feature that vendors should
provide, suggesting that while developers may continuously rank
security highly, they may not be expecting this to be solely the
responsibility of their cloud service providers. We see a similar
pattern with only 33% of those who believe monitoring tools are
missing or underdeveloped, stating that their cloud providers
should have “advanced analytics and monitoring tools”. This is
further leaning towards developers appreciating more open
cloud standards, where developers expect to have control over
choosing the best solutions.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 41
4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

Industry deep-dive

For developers in business consulting (56%), government and In another example, developers in transportation and logistics
defense (55%), and ecommerce (55%) high reliability stands even (37%) and marketing (36%) expect their providers to be
further ahead as the most important feature. However, those in compliant with industry-specific regulations. Developers working
SaaS (51%) and entertainment (50%) are more likely to state that in either marketing or advertising frequently interact with data
scalability is more important to them. While these industries that has to be pseudonymized to ensure the privacy of their
have similar demands that would drive their expectations from a consumers is maintained otherwise, they may face fines.
provider, the small differences highlight that different industries Developers working in logistics have similar concerns due to
are going to place differing demands on providers, who should handling identifiable information and are most likely to be deeply
be ready to ensure they are serving each industry where it is concerned with ensuring only the correct people have access to
most demanding. this information, even when distributed across a wider network.

However, across the range of industries we surveyed developers Of the developers surveyed, 23% said that there is nothing
from, we see further differences that highlight that solutions missing, which is a positive result that suggests there is a
targeting such industries have to be tailored correctly. Those in reasonable proportion of developers who are not being held
the energy sector (31%) and the gaming industry (29%) are the back by concerns about technological shortcomings. Of this
most likely to expect comprehensive and responsive customer developer group who feel nothing is missing, 30% report that
support from their providers, most likely coming from the they also face no limitations or obstacles to migrating to or
sensitivity to real-time disruptions in these industries. adopting distributed cloud solutions. However, 30% face
challenges around a lack of sufficient skills and training, 18% have
issues with the high cost of implementation, and 15% are
concerned about long-term maintenance and support.

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 42
 4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

Developer perceptions of under-realized technologies and

vendor activities to support distributed cloud solutions
Technologies developers believe are currently Features and attributes developers expect
under-developed and under-realized for from their cloud infrastructure providers for
supporting distributed cloud solutions distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=717) % of developers (n=639)

Nothing is missing 23% High reliability and uptime 51%

Security tools 35% Flexibility and scalability 44%

Compliance tools 28% Robust security features 38%

Monitoring and analytics tools 25% Clear pricing structure 33%

Advanced analytics
Data storage and management tools 25% 33%
and monitoring tools

Development and testing tools Compliance with industry-specific

25% 27%
regulations

Networking tools 23% Comprehensive documentation

27%
and learning resources

Management and orchestration tools 21% Comprehensive and responsive

24%
customer support

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 43
4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

Developer perceptions of under-realized technologies and

vendor activities to support distributed cloud solutions
Features and attributes developers expect from their cloud
infrastructure providers for distributed cloud solutions
% of developers (n=639)

High reliability and uptime 51%

Flexibility and scalability 44%

Robust security features 38%

Clear pricing structure 33%

Advanced analytics and monitoring tools 33%

Compliance with industry-specific regulations 27%

Comprehensive documentation and learning resources 27%

Comprehensive and responsive customer support 24%

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 44
 4. Developer expectations of technologies and vendor support

Features and attributes developers expect from their cloud

infrastructure providers to support distributed cloud solutions,
by their industry involvement
% of developers in each industry (n=639)
Industry involvement

and academic research

Software products and

Entertainment, media,
electricity, and water)
products and services

Ecommerce and retail

Energy (incl. oil, gas,

Artificial Intelligence
business intelligence

Telecommunications
recruitment services
Business consulting,

Machine-learning or

advertising services
Financial services &
legal services, HR &

Education, training,

biotechnology, and

Transportation and
Gaming (software,

Government and

pharmaceuticals
Health, medical,
and information
Data analytics /

gambling, etc.)

Marketing and

services, SaaS

and networks

logistics
banking

defense
>5pp below the
average of all other
cells within each row

2.5 – 5pp below the

High reliability and uptime 56% 52% 54% 55% 48% 49% 49% 52% 55% 47% 42% 44% 46% 47% 51%
average of all other
Features or attributes excepted

cells within each row

Flexibility and scalability 42% 46% 42% 43% 38% 50% 43% 45% 47% 41% 46% 39% 51% 43% 41%
infrastructure providers
from distributed cloud

Robust security features 40% 37% 35% 32% 38% 32% 36% 39% 35% 38% 45% 33% 41% 39% 27% ±2.5pp around the
average of all other
Clear pricing structure 37% 32% 39% 40% 39% 46% 39% 39% 42% 43% 32% 43% 35% 34% 41% cells within each row

Advanced analytics and monitoring tools 38% 37% 39% 31% 36% 27% 35% 33% 21% 34% 42% 36% 33% 38% 29% 2.5 – 5pp above the
average of all other
Compliance with industry-specific
26% 29% 25% 25% 34% 24% 31% 25% 34% 31% 25% 36% 23% 31% 37% cells within each row
regulations
Comprehensive documentation and
28% 26% 26% 30% 29% 25% 27% 31% 32% 27% 36% 36% 29% 32% 35% >5pp above the
learning resources
average of all other
Comprehensive and responsive customer cells within each row
19% 26% 20% 29% 31% 27% 22% 29% 26% 23% 23% 28% 25% 21% 27%
support

Distributed cloud computing: the practice of decentralizing cloud resources and services to be
physically closer to the data source or user, while still being managed centrally.
Developer Perceptions of Distributed Cloud 45
APPENDIX

46
Appendix A

Geographic distribution of developers

% of developers (n=777)

North America 48%

Western Europe & Israel 31%

Middle East & Africa 11%

South Asia 4%

All other regions 6%

47
Appendix B

Industry involvement of developers

% of developers (n=777)

Software products and services, SaaS 33%

Data analytics / Business Intelligence products
and servics 31%

ecommerce and Retail 27%

Business consulting, legal services, HR &
recruitment services 23%

Education, training, and academic research 22%

Financial services & banking 18%

Telecommunications and networks 16%

Entertainment, media, and information 15%

Machine-learning or Artificial Intelligence 15%

Health, medical, biotechnology, and
pharmaceuticals 14%

Energy (incl. oil, gas, electricity, and water) 13%

Transportation and logistics 12%

Gaming (software, gambling, etc.) 10%

Government and defense 9%

Marketing and advertising services 9%

48
 METHODOLOGY

In Q2 2023, SlashData designed and ran an online survey in conjunction with Every SlashData survey is monitored and cleaned to ensure the highest
Akamai to explore the current state of developers' perceptions of, and interest standards of retained responses. Our proprietary cleansing is designed to
in, distributed cloud solutions. We conducted the analysis presented in this mitigate and remove opportunistic, fraudulent, and bot responses. Consisting
report based on the 777 respondents who replied to this custom survey. Many of multiple criteria formulated around logic rules, speed, consistency, and
of the questions in this custom survey are specifically designed and co- response-taking behavior; this holistic assessment is key to our continued
created to address Akamai’s interests and questions related to developers success.
considering distributed cloud solutions for their applications and services.

49
 We survey 30,000+ developers annually – across Web,
Understand developers. Desktop, Cloud, Mobile, Industrial IoT, AR/VR, Machine
Learning and Data Science, Games, Consumer Electronics
Inspire the future of and Apps/Extensions for 3rd party ecosystems - to help
companies understand who developers are, what they buy
technology. and where they are going next.

WHO DEVELOPERS ARE WHAT THEY BUY WHERE THEY ARE GOING
Developer population sizing Why developers are adopting Emerging platforms – augmented
Developer segmentation competitor products – and how & virtual reality, machine learning
you can fix that
​THE ANALYST OF THE DEVELOPER ECONOMY

www.slashdata.co