The cloud services look set to grow four times faster than traditional Information Technology (IT) services drawing investments worth more than $72 billion by 2015, said an expert.

“This is no surprise as cloud-based services offer lower operating costs meaning that organisations of all shapes and sizes can swiftly slash the cost-per-user, as well as become more efficient at information sharing and such like,” remarked Altaf Alimohamed, the managing director of UAE-based Media Solutions.

“Early indications are that corporate IT budgets will increase substantially year-on-year as businesses worldwide embrace the attributes of cloud computing,” said the expert.

According to him, the IT sector is poised for growth and corporate budgets look set for a massive increase. "The IT services and solutions sector as a whole is predicted to grow at just 6.7 per cent per annum," he added.

Alimohamed said the investment by corporations in cloud-based services was likely to cross $72 billion in 2015, as demand grows as much as 27 per cent per annum over the next two years. This is up from $21.5 billion in 2010.

One such cloud-based solution is Soonr, a file sharing application designed to enable seamless real-time team collaboration, locally or remotely, he explained.

“New-to-market applications like Soonr mean organisations can put an end to building, running, maintaining and constantly upgrading server-based IT services by hopping onto the Cloud which offers a seamless, holistic solution,” he noted.
 
He explained that Soonr gives constant internet access from over 800-plus devices including iPhone, Android, Blackberry, across Macs and PCs, as well as ensuring that all information is backed-up.

“Soonr not only offers application, file sharing and collaboration services, it also provides a back-up service built into the same application ensuring that all company data is protected,” he added.

Turning to individual use across the region, Alimohamed said that many markets are showing a healthy appetite for mobile use of the internet.

Citing region-wide figures from by TNA Mena, the world’s largest custom market research organisation, he said that internet usage had gone up from 7.8 million users to 187 million in the last decade.

“The growth potential among corporations is encouraging but in tandem so it the uptake by individual users.  Although users might not yet realise it, many online activities take place on the Cloud meaning they are fast becoming cloud-savvy and thus ready to help influence the transition of the companies they work for,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service