How leaders are accelerating competitive differentiation

An aerial view of a team of rowers in a boat on classic blue water
(Image credit: Getty Images)

With so much of the cloud conversation revolving around technical topics, like "stack wars," APIs and DevOps, some people might think cloud computing is just an IT obsession. But business leaders disagree.

According to our global study of more than 800 cloud decision makers and users, business leaders of all stripes Finance, Sales & Marketing, Product Development and more are becoming increasingly focused on the business value cloud provides. Over the next three years, cloud's strategic importance to business users is expected to double from 34 percent to 72 percent, even surpassing their IT counterparts at 58 percent.

They're also backing up their words with action. The majority of our respondents said business leaders are actively involved in managing their organization's cloud initiatives.

So what's behind this growing strategic interest in cloud?

Simply put, it's an evolution. Cloud computing is following the same pattern of other technologies that have shaped business and society. Take electricity, for example. Even after thefirst public power supply lit the streets, it took time for businesses to learn how to really capitalize on this new technology.

To read the full paper, click here.

ITPro

ITPro is a global business technology website providing the latest news, analysis, and business insight for IT decision-makers. Whether it's cyber security, cloud computing, IT infrastructure, or business strategy, we aim to equip leaders with the data they need to make informed IT investments.

For regular updates delivered to your inbox and social feeds, be sure to sign up to our daily newsletter and follow on us LinkedIn and Twitter.