26 Apr 2011
The global market for cloud computing will grow from $40.7bn (£24.7bn) in 2011 to more than $241bn (£146bn) in 2020, according to a report from analyst firm Forrester called Sizing the Cloud.
These figures represent both public and private sectors of the cloud-computing market.
Interestingly, the report argues that the public cloud infrastructure-as-a-service model, pioneered by the likes of Amazon with its EC2 offering, will reach a peak of $5.9bn (£3.5bn) in global revenues by 2014, then enter a period of significant commoditisation, price deterioration, and margin pressure.
As a result, between 2014 and 2020, this market will decline, and revenues will stand at an estimated $4.8bn (£2.9bn).
The public cloud software-as-a-service market currently stands at $21.2bn (£12.8bn) in total revenues, and is expected to increase significantly over the next five years to $92.8bn (£56.3bn).
Between 2016 and 2020, however, the market will begin to saturate and growth in this period will be less significant.
Forrester predicts that public cloud platform-as-a-service revenues will increase from $0.08bn (£0.03bn) in 2011 to $11.91bn (£7.2bn) in 2020.
Private cloud solutions will continue to be popular among businesses, and Forrester predicts that this market will grow from $7.8bn (£4.7bn) in 2011 to $15.9bn (£9.6bn) 2020.
Middleware virtualisation, although only just beginning to feature in private clouds, will grow at the fastest rate of all the services.
Forrester forecasts that by 2020 it will be the largest private cloud segment in terms of total revenues, at an estimated $9bn (£5.4bn).
Encouragingly, the UK cloud market is developing quicker than other countries including the US. Perhaps it’s due to the service mentality which already exists here – businesses are comfortable with this model and used to thinking ‘where can I rent this service?’. However, most organisations are governed by rigid purchasing, financing and budgeting processes and will need to adopt a different mindset so that process doesn’t hold back progress.
Posted by: Fraser Kyne, Citrix 27 Apr 2011
Have your say on this article
Newsletters
Latest stories from Applications
Latest videos
You may also like
Applications jobs
Technology Patent Wars
Case studies from large organisations across all sectors
... And rich media, and flexible working, and peaks in traffic ...
Upcoming Events
Join us for this Computing web seminar, in which the Head of BI at the Co-operative Group Nick Colebourn will be explaining just how he reigned in the Group’s sprawling database estate and how significant savings were realised and data quality improved as a result.
Date: 31 May 2012
Time: 11:00 AM
Live June 13th 11:00am: Register now. During this web seminar we will be looking at the sorts of incidents that can bring data centres grinding to a halt and what can be done about them.
Date: 13 Jun 2012
Time: 11:00 am
Receive the latest jobs direct to your inbox
Are you being paid what you are worth?
