NetApp has released an infographic that chronicles the birth of the software-defined data center. Describing it as an “evolution”, the infographic highlights milestones starting with the siloed data centers of the 90s up to present day hybrid clouds, as well as its prediction for the future.

According to the infographic, the dot-com revolution redefined the way businesses operated and ushered in the era of IT data centers. They were siloed dedicated infrastructure, with each component of the technology serving very specific purposes.

The early to mid 2000s marked the beginning of the “virtual technology revolution”. Companies adopted virtualization in droves, increasing the ability to pool resources together. As user computing environments changed, from being a strictly desktop/laptop world to now including tablets, phones, and more, data centers needed to become more flexible.

2011 onward, the infographic asserts, is when the “hybrid cloud revolution” began, marking the first early years in the life of the software defined data center. CIOs can now mix and match resources in public and private clouds, yet somehow must manage to make those systems all function cohesively. It is software that drives this cohesiveness. Further globalization and mobility of business and the professionals who do the work is helping to propel the need for this fundamental shift.

By 2018, the infographic estimates that the software defined data center market will grow from $396.1 million in 2013 to $5.41 billion in 2018.  In the storage market specifically, which is NetApp’s primary area of concern, software-defined storage will grow faster than any other type of storage market. By 2017, NetApp predicts everyone in IT will be service provider.