Google has made several announcements regarding its product range at Google Cloud Next 25. The company presented updates focused on development and expanding global network infrastructure, with many of the offerings infused with AI features.
Traditional cloud models require teams to manage infrastructure elements (virtual machines, storage, and networks) before building applications on top of them. Google says it aims to reduce the friction associated with that workflow by putting applications – not infrastructure – at the centre.
Its new Application Design Centre, currently in public preview, gives developers and platform teams a visual, collaborative space to design application templates. Users can drag and drop components, view infrastructure-as-code in-line, and deploy, from the same interface. The tool integrates with Google’s App Hub, which tracks deployments and offers various troubleshooting tools.
Cloud Hub is an interface to manage applications that straddle services and regions. It aggregates data like system health status, resource use, performance, and billing in one place. Cloud Hub is also available in public preview via the Google Cloud console.
Extending AI features
Google is embedding generative AI into coding workflows and cloud management through Gemini Code Assist, in line with the company’s policy promoting AI’s role in application development and maintenance.
Gemini Code Assist can now be found integrated in developer environments Android Studio, VSCode, Firebase Studio, and JetBrains’s IDEs. Code Assist will help automate tasks like code writing, debugging, and documentation. The company says the platform can build full applications from specification documents, and translate between programming languages. It includes a kanban interface to show what the AI is doing in real-time and will suggest revisions.
For mobile development, Firebase Studio has AI agents for generating app prototypes from user prompts, writing backend logic and forming user interface elements. The platform will also automate test creation and execution.
Gemini Cloud Assist offers AI-derived guidance for infrastructure planning, monitoring, and possible optimisation. A new Investigations feature, currently in private preview, analyses logs, system changes, and telemetry data to help identify the causes of incidents or bottlenecks. Findings can be reviewed by developers or handed over to Google Support teams for further assistance.
Cost Explorer is a dashboard of use and associated costs. It links metrics like CPU or memory use with spending, so teams can identify underused assets and get recommendations for optimisation. The tool trawls 30 days of data and can filter by project, service or resource type.
Building a global backbone
Google also announced Cloud WAN, a managed offering designed for enterprises looking to move away from MPLS networks and granular SD-WAN configuration. The service runs on Google’s infrastructure and covers site-to-site traffic and cloud architecture.
One key feature is Cross-Site Interconnect, now in preview, which provides Layer 2 connectivity between data centres using dedicated 10G or 100G links. Google’s Premium Tier network routes traffic through the closest point of presence to minimise hops, and integrates with security solutions from Palo Alto Networks and Menlo Security to combine networking and security.
Cross-Site Interconnect is available on use-based and fixed pricing, and works with third-party connectivity vendors such as Cisco, Fortinet, and BT.
Google claims the platform delivers up to 40% lower total cost of ownership compared to self-managed WANs.
(Image by Google)
