Executives from businesses in developed countries appear more cautious
about the opportunities that cloud computing bring to the business than their
entrepreneurial counterparts in emerging regions. Survey figures show that 70%
of firms in the developing world are re-appraising their cloud platforms, compared
with only 46% of firms in the developed world. In fact, technology research firm
Gartner estimates that the global cloud computing market will reach $148.8
billion by 2014 (a tremendous increase over 2010, when the market was $68.3
billion). Half of those revenues are expected to be generated outside the US. The
appetite to embrace cloud technology is greatest among respondents from the
financial, manufacturing and TICE (technology, information, communication and
entertainment) sectors.