As the decade has closed, we are now at a point when high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud work together to power solutions that lead companies to innovate better products and unearth new discoveries. HPC in the cloud is an increasingly viable option for organizations of all sizes and will only become stronger as technologies continue to converge and mature.
But what does the future hold and how will HPC and cloud fit in the coming year? Here are my top predictions for the paths these technologies will take in 2020.

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will increasingly move into the cloud.

AI and ML can be compute-intensive, especially for training, which can involve massive amounts of data. The cloud is helping organizations meet demanding compute requirements without the need for their own datacenters. More companies are leveraging cloud bursting and integration with Kubernetes to rapidly deploy ML workloads to containers in the cloud. I expect this trend to continue.
Moving forward, organizations seeking to drive business value with AI and ML will take advantage of the price and performance benefits with cloud. They’ll also rely on workload orchestration solutions to facilitate the convergence of compute-intensive ML workloads across HPC infrastructure. Whether your computing power is on-premises or in the cloud, it’s important to manage your workloads efficiently to bring compute consumption as close as possible to real demand.

2. Single-platform cloud access and dynamic resource scaling will be on the rise.

I expect to see continued demand for a single platform that can provide dynamic access to simulation technology, and the scalable computing resources that power it all. Altair is building that experience for customers, enabling users to source scalable compute on-demand, run simulation jobs in the cloud, and access cloud versions of their favorite software tools, all in one place.
It’s very clear that the demand for cloud-enabled and cloud-native applications will only increase. Companies are moving towards sourcing computing resources dynamically instead of relying on rigid applications that live full-time in a predetermined computing environment.
Solutions like Altair HyperWorks Unlimited™ are designed to make it all easier. Available as a physical or a virtual cloud-based appliance, HyperWorks Unlimited combines software, system administration, and infrastructure-as-a-service in a single, intuitive platform.

3. HPC visibility and usage will expand within organizations.

As new delivery methods continue to lower the barrier for accessing HPC, it will be adopted in more teams across organizations and will be used to streamline processes and production. Teams will tap HPC to explore more opportunities in less time and beat competitors to market with new solutions.
2020 is going to be an exciting year for cloud and for high-performance computing.  In a post-Moore’s Law era we’re looking beyond speed and compute power to scalability and easy access to compute resources when you need them, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the year ahead will take us.
Find out more about Altair cloud solutions and HPC solutions on our website.