Serverless Computing Explained

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-10-04T18:25:30.984Z • Permanent link

Amazon Web Services' (AWS) introduction of the AWS Lambda function in 2014 marked the beginning of serverless computing as we know it today. Since then, other major cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) have followed suit, offering their own serverless computing offerings. However, it was IBM's announcement of its OpenWhisk serverless platform in 2015 that really kickstarted the serverless computing revolution. IBM's OpenWhisk, which was designed to work seamlessly with the company's existing cloud infrastructure, has since become a popular choice among developers and businesses looking to deploy serverless applications.

The rise of serverless computing has been driven by the increasing need for greater agility and scalability in the digital economy. According to a report by IDC, the global cloud infrastructure market is expected to grow to over $500 billion by 2025, with serverless computing being a key driver of this growth. The report also notes that serverless computing is expected to account for over 30% of the total cloud infrastructure market by 2025. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of cloud-based applications and the need for businesses to scale quickly and efficiently in response to changing market conditions.

The emergence of serverless computing has also been driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The ability to deploy AI and ML models without the need for significant infrastructure investments has made serverless computing an attractive option for businesses looking to deploy these types of applications. According to a report by Gartner, the global AI market is expected to grow to over $190 billion by 2025, with serverless computing being a key enabler of this growth.

Serverless computing has a significant impact on the way businesses deploy and manage cloud-based applications. According to a report by Forrester, businesses that adopt serverless computing can achieve up to 30% lower costs and 50% faster time-to-market compared to traditional cloud infrastructure models. This is because serverless computing eliminates the need for businesses to manage and maintain their own servers, allowing them to focus on developing and deploying applications.

The adoption of serverless computing also has significant implications for the research community. According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global serverless computing market is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2020 to over $10 billion by 2025. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of serverless computing among businesses and the need for researchers to develop new applications and models that can take advantage of this technology.

The impact of serverless computing on the cloud infrastructure market is also significant. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global cloud infrastructure market is expected to grow from $521 billion in 2020 to over $1.1 trillion by 2025. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of cloud-based applications and the need for businesses to scale quickly and efficiently in response to changing market conditions.