5 trends shaping the cloud market in 2026

More companies are facing sustainability reporting requirements, which increases the need for clear data on energy use, cooling, and carbon impact. That makes energy-efficient infrastructure and transparent metrics an important part of vendor selection. Responsible energy sourcing and heat-reuse solutions are becoming hygiene factors, not just long-term ambitions, when choosing a vendor.

Multi-cloud strategies are evolving. Rather than focusing purely on redundancy, many teams are designing platforms that allow them to exit, switch providers, or renegotiate terms more easily.

Lower egress costs and reduced vendor lock-in matter. This shift is especially evident in Europe and the Nordics, where many organizations are actively evaluating alternatives to US hyperscalers. Hybrid setups also make it easier to place workloads where they make the most sense, balancing cost, control, and compliance.

AI is no longer experimental for many teams. It’s becoming part of production environments, raising new questions about costs, data handling, and scalability.

As demand for GPUs and high-performance infrastructure grows, so do hardware costs. At the same time, organizations need stronger governance around sensitive data and models. Cloud platforms that support AI workloads without adding unnecessary complexity are becoming increasingly valuable.

Cloud spending is making a more noticeable impact on operating costs. Rising energy prices, higher hardware costs, and more compute-intensive workloads are pushing cost optimization beyond engineering teams and into C-suite discussions.

This is driving a shift toward clearer pricing, better visibility, and more deliberate infrastructure choices. Companies want to understand what they’re paying for, why, and how to adjust without locking themselves into long-term constraints.

In 2026, cloud decisions are less about chasing the latest capability and more about building platforms that hold up over time. Control, transparency, and flexibility are becoming just as important as scale. Companies that prioritize these principles will be better positioned to build cloud platforms that remain useful, compliant, and cost-effective over time.

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