23 Dec 2008

Hosted IT growth predicted

Firms will adopt IT services provided through cloud computing during 2009, an industry expert has predicted.

According to Eric Knorr, editor-in-chief of InfoWorld, companies prefer to invest more in operating costs which meet their needs as opposed to funding the installation of new infrastructure.

The ongoing debate over the definition of cloud computing is not dissuading companies from considering applications associated with the technology, Mr Knorr suggested.

He said: "When you're the only exciting game in town, everyone is going to want a seat at the table, even though some players may have a slightly different game in mind."

Microsoft Azure is the main development platform associated with the cloud, while infrastructure services and software-as-a-service are other important categories which have become entwined with the growth of cloud computing, Mr Knorr noted.

The global economic crisis is set to encourage more businesses to consider the financial benefits provided by cloud computing, the International Data Corporation has predicted.