Application Container Market

Market Overview

The global application container market size was valued at USD 3.75 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 29.69 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 25.85% during the forecast period (2023–2031). The application container market is experiencing tremendous expansion due to the growing popularity of cloud-native technologies and the demand for agile and efficient software development and deployment processes. In addition, as application containers improve resource utilization and increase the cost-effectiveness of the business, their demand is anticipated to increase. Moreover, the proliferation of IoT devices and applications creates opportunities for the application container market as they help execute IoT applications.

Application containers, also known as containers, are lightweight, standalone, executable software packages that contain the code, runtime, libraries, and system tools required to execute a given piece of software. Containers are a type of virtualization that operates at the level of the operating system. They enable the isolation of programs from one another and the underlying infrastructure.

Containers ensure consistency in execution irrespective of the underlying infrastructure by encapsulating an application and its dependencies. Containerization has enabled developers to construct, distribute, and execute applications without interruption across many platforms, thereby promoting software development and deployment agility, scalability, and efficacy. Containers have emerged as an essential component in contemporary application development and deployment, facilitating developers in constructing, testing, and deploying applications across diverse environments with enhanced efficiency and dependability.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Growing Adoption of Cloud-Based Technologies 

Cloud computing has emerged as a pivotal driver of enterprise digital transformation by enabling massive data storage, processing, and remote access. Cloud computing also minimizes maintenance expenses and incorporates robust security measures. A report by Gartner projected that the global market for public cloud services was predicted to increase at a CAGR of 17.5% between 2019 and 2022, from USD 227.8 billion to USD 354.6 billion.

Additionally, IDC predicts that by 2023, more than 500 million digital applications and services will have been developed and deployed utilizing cloud-native methodologies; this figure represents the number of applications developed over the past four decades. Application containers enable the migration, orchestration, and handling of applications across multiple cloud platforms; thus, they are extensively implemented in cloud environments. In addition to facilitating the optimization of cloud resource utilization, application containers improve the availability and efficacy of cloud applications. Such factors are anticipated to augment the market expansion.

Enhanced Resource Utilization and Cost Efficiency 

Businesses' endeavor to increase their cost-effectiveness and resource utilization is an important factor propelling the application container market. Organizations can attain increased resource utilization density through containers, decreasing infrastructure expenses. The utilization of computing resources is optimized by encapsulating applications and their dependencies within containers. Thus, the solution is portable and lightweight, enabling it to operate consistently in various environments.

According to a study conducted by Docker Inc., organizations that implement containerization observe a notable 30% increase in application deployment speed and a 50% reduction in infrastructure expenses. Thus, application containers are widely adopted across various industry verticals due to the operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness they provide.

Market Restraint

Security Concerns and Vulnerabilities 

Although application containers provide various benefits, the adoption of these containers is significantly hindered by security concerns. The shared kernel architecture inherent in containerization presents possible vulnerabilities. Container breakout incidents present significant threats to the security and integrity of applications.

Enterprises have been increasingly concerned about the changing threat landscape targeting containerized applications. A study conducted by Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that the number of security incidents associated with containers is expected to increase by 25% per year. Addressing these security concerns to reduce risks and establish confidence in the strength of containerized environments is critical.

Market Opportunities

Proliferation of IoT Devices and Applications 

The term "IoT" encompasses a network of internet-connected physical devices capable of data collection and exchange, including sensors, cameras, and wearables. IoT applications and devices, including connected healthcare, smart cities, residences, and automobiles, enable numerous use cases and benefits. In recent years, IoT has experienced tremendous growth, and expenditures on IoT have increased dramatically due to the soaring prevalence of IoT devices and applications.

For instance, IDC projects that worldwide expenditure on the Internet of Things (IoT) will attain USD 1.1 trillion by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 12.6%. Application containers offer scalable, lightweight, and portable solutions, enabling the development, deployment, and operations of IoT applications to be executed across multiple platforms and devices. In addition to optimizing the efficacy and efficiency of IoT applications, application containers reduce communication and computation overhead and latency. Thus, the proliferation of IoT devices and applications will create opportunities to expand the application container market.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global application container market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America is the most significant global application container market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. The dominance of North America can be ascribed to factors such as technological progress, innovations, and competition. The technical advancement of countries such as Canada and the United States positively impacts the region's economic health. Cloud computing and microservices architecture are widely used in North America, leading to a strong need for application container solutions. A survey from Flexera states that 94% of organizations in North America utilize cloud services, with 49% of them employing containers. Similarly, North America is home to prominent players in the application container market, including IBM, Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Red Hat, and Docker. These companies provide various solutions and services to meet customers' varying demands and preferences.

Additionally, North America benefits from a favorable legislative and policy framework that promotes the implementation and advancement of application container solutions. For instance, the U.S. government recently released a report through CIO.GOV outlining several standards and activities to encourage the use and integration of cloud-based technologies and microservices architecture. These technologies are crucial for the successful implementation of application containerization. The Container Readiness Guide is one such venture that offers a comprehensive document outlining the advantages, difficulties, and optimal methods for implementing container orchestration systems within the federal government. Thus, the aforementioned aspects expedite the market expansion.

Asia-Pacific is the most rapidly expanding market for application container solutions due to market potential, digital transformation, and economic expansion. A substantial and expanding SME community in Asia-Pacific is progressively embracing microservices architecture and cloud-based technologies to improve their competitiveness, agility, and operational effectiveness. Alibaba Cloud's survey reveals that 58% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia Pacific region utilize cloud services, with 39% specifically employing containers.

Moreover, EY-FICCI reports published in August 2023 indicate that in India, 49% of organizations utilize the cloud to modernize their data infrastructures, with larger organizations leading at 55%. Further, 78% of businesses are implementing cloud strategies for application modernization, while 40% of organizations are leveraging the cloud to enhance workforce collaboration and productivity. Therefore, expanding cloud deployment is anticipated to stimulate the market for application containers.

Increasing investments and initiatives in Asia-Pacific's cloud computing and IoT sectors also generate opportunities for the application container market. For instance, China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) aims to foster the growth of the Internet of Things, big data, and cloud computing sectors. In addition, the customer base in Asia Pacific is dynamic and diverse, necessitating novel and individualized solutions to cater to an extensive range of applications and use cases. These factors stimulate the Asia-Pacific market expansion.

Segmental Analysis

The global application container market is segmented by service, deployment, organization size, and application.

Based on service, the global application container market is bifurcated into monitoring and security, data management and orchestration, networking, support and maintenance, and other consulting services. 

The data management and orchestration segment dominates the global market. The data management and orchestration service in application containers is a service that facilitates the administration of the data lifecycle and performance of applications that are containerized. The platform provides a range of functionalities, including volume management, deployment and orchestration, data management, data protection, and performance scaling. Azure Container Storage is an instance of a data management and orchestration service inside the realm of application containers. This service is designed specifically for containers and operates within a cloud-based environment.

Based on deployment, the global application container market is segmented into cloud and on-premise. 

The on-premise segment owns the highest market share. The on-premise deployment of application containers refers to delivering and executing containerized applications on privately owned servers or infrastructure instead of relying on a public cloud service. Deploying application containers on-premise can provide enhanced control, flexibility, and security compared to container environments. However, this approach necessitates more effort in setup, maintenance, and resource allocation.

Based on organization size, the global application container market is divided into SMEs and large enterprises. 

The large enterprises segment is the most significant contributor to the market. Large enterprises are classified as organizations with notable attributes such as substantial revenue, assets, personnel, extensive scale, and global reach. A large enterprise is defined as one that satisfies at least one of two criteria: it must have a minimum of 5,000 employees, generate an annual revenue exceeding 1.5 billion euros, and have a balance sheet totaling more than 2 billion euros. These corporations generally maintain a significant foothold in the market and conduct business at the domestic or global level. The dominant share of large enterprises can be attributed to the higher demand and budget for application container solutions that these enterprises have.

Based on the platform, the global application container market is divided into Docker, Kubernetes, and others. 

The Docker segment is the largest revenue contributor to the market. Docker is a collection of platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings that utilize OS-level virtualization to distribute software through encapsulated units known as containers. The service provides both free and premium subscription options. In addition, the software responsible for hosting the containers is called Docker Engine. The software's initial release occurred in 2013 and is now being developed by Docker, Inc. Docker is a software technology utilized for the automated deployment of applications within lightweight containers, enabling effective operation in diverse contexts while maintaining isolation.

Based on application, the global application container market is divided into BFSI, healthcare and life science, telecommunication and IT, retail and e-commerce, media and entertainment, and others. 

The BFSI segment accounts for a large market share. Application containers can be utilized within the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector for many objectives. The facilitation of the creation, testing, and deployment of new applications and services can aid BFSI firms in achieving digital transformation and fostering innovation. These apps can utilize cloud-native technologies and employ a microservices architecture, enabling the development of modular, scalable, and resilient solutions deployed across diverse devices and platforms.

An instance of the utilization of application containers may be observed in the case of Capital One, where these containers are employed to facilitate the operation of their DevExchange platform. This platform serves as a medium for developers to access and utilize the APIs and SDKs provided by Capital One, enabling the creation of inventive and novel solutions.

Recent Developments

• October 2023- Docker entered the field of generative AI development by introducing a collection of pre-configured tools for developers. Additionally, Docker has introduced a new AI tool that provides developers with automated recommendations on container configurations.
• July 2023- Azure Application Gateway for Containers, a novel load balancing and dynamic traffic management solution designed for application workloads executing in a Kubernetes cluster, was introduced to the public via preview by Microsoft. A novel addition to the Application Gateway product family, it expands Azure's portfolio of Application load-balancing solutions.