Each year, North Bridge Venture Partners, Gigaom Research, and many collaborators come together to gauge the present and future of cloud computing.  Since 2011, Future of Cloud Computing features some of the biggest names in cloud strategy and as it celebrates its 4^th release, compiled results from 1,358 respondents and 72 collaborators. What does the research have to say about the future? Including responses by both users and vendors, this study helps to get a complete view of cloud computing and coverings the following topics:

• Cloud Landscape
• Benchmarking
• Driving Forces
• Inhibiting Forces
• Business Challenges
• Cloud Trends
• Cloud Investments
• Cloud Computing Phase 2

We will cover the current landscape of the cloud adoption, and share with you the rest of the presentation.

The Cloud Fuels New Business, Strategy, and Innovation

When you think of cloud computing, what do you think? New Solutions to Old Problems? New Companies? New Business? Consider this:

• 49 Percent of Respondents are using the cloud for Revenue Generation or Product Development
• 35 Percent choose the cloud as a strategic driver for company innovation
• 45 Percent of Respondents want to or already run their company in the cloud

Front Office Applications Lead Cloud Adoption

As companies move to the cloud, the leading business functions were those of front office applications.  These applications already have a fair portion of their applications in the cloud:

• 52 Percent of Sales and Marketing
• 44 Percent of Customer Service,
• 44 Percent of Business Analytics

IT Applications are Close Behind

But the Information Technology Department is close behind. Realizing that current upkeep of legacy and on-premise is costing up to 80% of its budget, 60% to 85% will move at least some processing to the cloud within 2 years.  Specifically these applications lead cloud adoption:

• 63 Percent of Web Presence
• 54 Percent of Communications
• 47 Percent of Disaster Recovery

Surprisingly, back office applications are lagging.  Within the next 2 years, transaction processing and data center consolidation will see 34% and 31% adoption, respectively. We welcome you to read through the rest of this study, including the drivers and inhibitors in the cloud, the future of cloud CAD, and much, much more. Companies are moving from “Amazing because Cloud” to “Impossible without Cloud.”  As a reseller of cloud based financial management and accounting solutions to growing businesses throughout Texas, Altruas is pleased to share in the large-scale growth of the cloud.  Learn how you can get a free trial of best-in-class cloud accounting software Intacct, and contact us for more information. We thank Michael J. Skok for moderating this study.  We invite you to follow @futureofcloud on Twitter and join us as well by following @Altruas.