2010 Predictions for Cloud Computing

Happy New Year!

I'd like to kickoff 2010 with a blog that addresses the major trends that are unfolding in Cloud Computing:


1) The 2 to 3 year redeployment cycle to the cloud will begin it’s second year and will be in full swing, particularly amongst emerging and mid-sized businesses ranging from 5 to 500 employees. Businesses of this size that haven’t yet explored cloud-based alternatives will begin to feel the pressure of becoming more and more uncompetitive. Service providers will be much better at articulating their value proposition making them easier to do with business with moving forward.

2) The VAR Channel for the cloud will begin to emerge and become more prominent as businesses search for expertise to fill the gap leftover by providers who are understandably preoccupied with enhancing their product offerings.

3)Cloud Computing will begin to transition within businesses from a table stakes discussion to one of leveraging the new capabilities resulting in new practices, new roles and a repositioning of technology for businesses. The traditional role of a CIO will be revisited as the traditional nuts and bolts of IT diminish.

4)Use and adoption of Google Apps and Google Mail within businesses will be much more prevalent and the demand to integrate them with other cloud-based solutions (NetSuite and Salesforce) will increase dramatically.

5)The combined effect of more cloud, more mobile more video, and more social media all rolled up into one ubiquitous blur will create an explosion of collaborative offerings in the marketplace.

6)Green IT and the need to reduce carbon emission will become more of a driver for the adoption of cloud computing which is a more efficient use of servers, storage etc.

7)Cloud offerings suitable for the larger enterprise (infrastructure-as-a-service and storage-as-a-service) will see increased adoption by Fortune 500 companies across a myriad of industries.

8)More cloud adoption will give rise to more portfolio and services management, as businesses wrestle with how best to manage in an environment with multiple cloud vendors.


Dave Rice CEO, TrueCloud

www.truecloud.com