“The Cloud” is one such disruptive trend. Cloud computing had its own hype cycles and after passing through it, hopefully in 2011, it would enter mainstream usage in a big way. Customers are embracing the cloud as it helps to increase flexibility, tap new capabilities, reduce the IT maintenance burden, improve the user-experience and reduce capital costs. No technology offers complete panacea to CIOs. Hurdles for cloud computing penetration and acceptance include – Understanding risks, security issues, financial implications and tradeoffs, integration with legacy systems, and legal/regulatory issues but most important of all – MINDSET Change.

1. Are YOU Ready for the CLOUD Revolution? It’s a
WIN-WIN for All!
Cloud computing is in, piracy is out!
Cloud computing is in, spending money on upgrades is out!
Cloud is in, CXOs get more time to Relax!
Cloud computing is in; anywhere, anytime, anyplace has got a new meaning!
Over the last thousand years, we have seen spice trails generate massive wealth in the
Middle East, shipping lines open up sizable agricultural projects in less-developed
regions; and steam and electricity generate another wave of disproportionate winners.
The wealth of US in the last two decades has mainly come from IT, energy
and defense as manufacturing chased low-cost labor nations . A coming shift in cloud
computing could give some ventures high market capitalization and early investors who
bet on them early retirement and multi-bagger returns.
The Life cycle is the same –> Ever few years comes a technology which promises to
change how we work and it is naturally initially scoffed at, then ridiculed and riddled
with holes and as it enters mainstream, its accepted grudgingly and once it gains
universal acceptance and wide usage, the same disbelievers become the champions of it
and canvass its benefits to the outside world. “The Cloud” is one such disruptive trend.
Cloud computing had its own hype cycles and after passing through it, hopefully in
2011, it would enter mainstream usage in a big way. Customers are embracing the cloud
as it helps to increase flexibility, tap new capabilities, reduce the IT maintenance burden,
improve the user-experience and reduce capital costs.

2. No technology offers complete panacea to CIOs. Hurdles for cloud computing
penetration and acceptance include – Understanding risks, security issues, financial
implications and tradeoffs, integration with legacy systems, and legal/regulatory issues
but most important of all – MINDSET Change.
Cloud Computing and India: A Perfect Fit
Sharing results of a study by global management consultants – Zinnov, Steve Ballmer of
Microsoft said India had the potential to emerge as the global competency centre for
cloud services. As a result of the growing demand for independent software vendors,
developers and system integrators, additional 300,000 jobs related to cloud services are
estimated to be created in India over the next five years. Over 4,000 applications have
already been built on the Windows Azure platform by India.
With India among the fastest growing world economies and with a robust Information
Technology industry, many US companies find themselves doing business with offices in
India. IDC estimates that during 2011, 15 % of all IT revenues will be tied to the cloud
(directly or through supporting infrastructure).

3. Adoption of public and private cloud computing will continue to increase. We are
moving beyond philosophical discussions of why interest in cloud computing is occurring
and whether the cloud wave is real. The anti-cloud backlash will gain market attention.
Expect high-profile press articles to start “bashing” cloud computing, quoting those
whose use of cloud computing has generated unimpressive results. IT services providers
and outsourcers that have fallen behind the cloud wave will happily join this chorus.
How BIG is the CLOUD?
>>> The Cloud is poised for robust growth. Research firm Forrester
Research expectations on cloud are as below: (In fact, Forrester again came out, last
month, with a latest report saying that the global market for cloud computing will grow
from $40.7bn (£24.7bn) in 2011 to more than $241bn (£146bn) by 2020 in its report
called Sizing the Cloud.
>>> The global cloud computing market is expected to cross $70 billion by 2015 as per
Zinnov study.
>>> Experton Group is forecasting that the German cloud computing market is forecast
to grow from EUR 1.14 billion in 2010 to EUR 8.2 billion in 2015. This is equal to
average annual growth of 48 %. In 2015, cloud computing will account for around 10 %
of total IT expenditure in Germany. Now, many domainers will know why cloud-
computing.de went in the xx,xxx price range.
>>> Gartner predicts worldwide software as a service (SaaS) revenue is forecast to reach
$9.2 billion in 2010, up 15.7 percent from 2009 revenue of $7.9 billion. The market is

4. projected for stronger growth in 2011 with worldwide SaaS revenue totaling $10.7
billion, a 16.2 % increase from 2010 revenue.
>>> TechMarketView predicts the value of the UK cloud computing market will more
than double between now and 2014 from £2.4bn to £6.1bn according to the study ”UK
Software and IT Services Market Forecast” published by the firm.
>>> MarketsandMarkets.com in their report, Cloud Computing Market – Global Forecast
(2010 -2015) predicts that the global cloud computing market is expected to grow from
$37.8 billion in 2010 to $121.1 billion in 2015 at a CAGR of 26.2% from 2010 to 2015.