The use of cloud computing is growing all of the time, and there is not likely to be any let up in this growth in the months ahead.
Businesses and the Cloud
While there have been concerns from businesses that cloud services may be insecure and unreliable, a study set to be released from England’s Manchester University this week shows that use of the cloud has dramatically cut costs in relation to information technology. In addition, most businesses that have enjoyed a cut in costs saw this translate directly into vastly improved profit at the bottom line.
One of the biggest barriers to businesses embracing cloud computing has been their own attitude, with many believing that the cloud would ultimately fizzle out as something as a gimmick, rather than a service that can have a profound impact throughout a business. Many industry analysts feel that this study could be the final step in getting everyone to embrace the cloud. After all, if you are a CEO of a business and are seen to be turning down the opportunity to cut a cost line by 25%, your shareholders or board of directors are probably not going to remain supportive for long, are they?
Final Destination
The endgame of cloud services, whether it is data storage or server hosting, is that at some point in the future everything will be based there. The existing concerns that remain around security and reliability don’t show any sign of going away, although more will surely be done to minimise these issues now that the positive impact is so clear. For now, providers of traditional host services have nothing to worry about, but they could see demand for their products beginning to diminish in the years ahead as the need and clamour for the cloud grows ever larger.
Other Opportunities
The opportunities that cloud services give to businesses are clear, but how do they influence other groups?
In terms of individual consumers, they have been living their lives increasingly in the cloud for a number of years, whether they were aware of it or not. Services such as iTunes and Gmail have been cloud based for a long time, and consumers are perhaps only now becoming fully aware of it thanks to data synchronisation between devices and the way they use mobile technology interchangeably.
The cloud will continue to make consumers’ lives easier, whether that is via the streaming of television shows and movies, or the ability to access essential information at any time of the day.
Investors will also be licking their lips, or have the proverbial currency signs in their eyes, as the cloud continues to grow. Conservative projections show that the market for cloud services is going to at least double over the next three years, so anyone with money to invest should certainly be at least considering this area.
Something for Everyone
The technology industry has a habit of over selling certain things as ‘life changing’ or ‘revolutionary,’ but there is no doubting that the cloud is both of those. The opportunities the cloud will present to all of us in the coming years will be huge, and change how we do things forever.
This article is written by Jaguar PC where my colleagues are working, the original leaders in VPS hosting, with 24/7 professional support and affordable Web Hosting plans.
