Cloud computing will create nearly 14 million new jobs globally by 2015, including over two million in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), according to an IDC report commissioned by Microsoft.

In line with this, leading international cloud companies will discuss cloud-driven changes in a major conference organised as part of the upcoming Gitex Technology Week in Dubai.

Under the theme “Business Innovation through Cloud Computing – From Hype to a Must-Have Service Model”, the two-day Cloud Confex will take place during Gitex, running from October 14 to 18 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The event’s ramp up in activity comes as high-growth companies and first-generation business-savvy chief information officers (CIOs) converge to drive wide-spread, cloud-driven change across multiple sectors.

According to The Five Faces of the Cloud study recently released by global business consulting firm Bain & Company, cloud computing product and service revenue is set to rise from approximately $20 billion today to nearly $150 billion by 2020, which will constitute around 8 per cent of all technology spend.

The study also notes that faster growing companies (greater than 10 per cent per year) use 144 per cent more cloud services than slower-growing companies.

In addition, CIOs entering their position within the last year will have 141 per cent more of their environment in the cloud than a longer tenured CIO (greater than six years), and that for certain workloads over the next three to five years, cloud pricing will be 30 per cent to 40 per cent lower than legacy technology.

IDC’s research also estimated revenues from cloud innovation could reach $1.1 trillion per year by 2015, which, combined with cloud efficiencies, will drive significant organisational reinvestment and job growth.

In the MEA region itself, another IDC study notes that 73 per cent of polled decision makers acknowledge that the cloud offers significant, tangible benefits, and anticipation at its sheer potential is mounting ahead of Cloud Confex’s ambitious agenda.

Cloud Confex will have a five-day cloud exhibition and two-day cloud conference.

The event features insights on pressing issues, keynotes led by cloud computing thought leaders, panel discussions and exclusive networking break-out sessions. Topics tackled will include the state of the cloud today, the next stages in its evolution, evolving market trends, dominant market player insight, privacy challenges and a spotlight on cloud computing technologies.

Dr Jassim Haji, director of IT, Gulf Air, who is presenting a case study on how his company transitioned to the cloud and dramatically enhanced both its business performance and customer service capabilities, said: “Cloud computing is absolutely one of the most revolutionary developments in the ICT space and its implications for business are immense.”

“Gulf Air’s innovation in this increasingly influential space serves as a vivid case in point for better, more efficient operational processes and demonstrates that this type of technology is fit for purpose in the MEA region.”

“Cloud Computing is an extraordinary opportunity for businesses in MEA to achieve levels of operational efficiency that were previously unthinkable,” said Eyad Shihabi, managing director, HP Middle East, which is a Gitex Technology Week 2012 Diamond sponsor.

“This is empowerment on a massive scale, and it will enable countless operational improvements and innovations. As we scale up our operations, expand our portfolio and services, we can derive great benefit from continued participation in events like Gitex Technology Week.

“Cloud Confex is unmatched in its scope in the region, and is an important showcase to demonstrate how businesses are moving quickly to adopt cloud computing and take advantage of both its efficiency and agility.”

“Cloud computing has the potential to change the way every single organisation across the world functions,” said Trixee Loh, senior vice president at event organiser Dubai World Trade Centre.

“The MEA region in particular, with its wide-ranging development plans and ambitious economic diversification agendas, is likely to benefit from these massively influential trends. Gitex Technology Week is proud to be at the cutting-edge in this respect, highlighting the key players, shaping the conversation and laying the foundations for the future.”

Now in its 32nd year, Gitex Technology Week connects more than 138,000 industry professionals and over 3,500 suppliers from 144 countries across five continents, making it one of the world’s top three ICT exhibitions. This year’s Gitex Technology Week is themed “Where Technology Means Business”. – TradeArabia News Service