IBM survey suggests cloud computing drives major business innovation

With so many other tasks occupying a CEO or business owners’ time, a company’s executive decision maker may not consider adopting cloud computing a priority.

However, according to a recent survey conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value entitled “The Power of Cloud: Driving Business Model Innovation,” CEOs should begin making cloud computing a primary management concern rather than an afterthought left to their IT department.

While the survey found that only 13 percent of polled respondents have exhibited substantive adoption of cloud services, a company’s decision makers will soon have to recognize that adopting the technology will be necessary to keep up with competitors. The survey suggests that cloud services will be adopted by 41 percent of businesses in just three years.

Furthermore, the survey goes on to report a multitude of companies that have been able to transform their business models for the better by deploying cloud services. For example, the survey references how Etsy, an online market for homespun merchandise, uses cloud technology as a way to effectively analyze data for the roughly 1 billion visitors who frequent its site each month. By doing so, Etsy is able to enhance their customers’ experience by providing appropriate recommendations based on the company’s data analysis, bringing buyers and sellers together with unparalleled accuracy.

The cost flexibility afforded through cloud provides Etsy access to tools and computing power that might typically only be affordable for larger retailers,” concluded the survey.

Considering the enhanced financial strategies and data solutions that cloud computing can offer, all CEOs – no matter how busy – should consider consulting with a provider of VoIP telephony systems who can also offer managed IT services. This consultation will allow these executives to open their thinking to how the cloud can drive substantive business innovation rather than just small incremental improvements.

According to a recent survey conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value entitled “The Power of Cloud: Driving Business Model Innovation,” CEOs should begin making cloud computing a primary management concern