Innovation in the cloud

During his recent speech at London School of Economics Steve Ballmer said "The cloud will open a whole new range of opportunities to use computing in more valuable ways. There are new applications that you couldn't have built in a world without the cloud."

Cloud really is sparking innovation and the promise of innovation in the cloud is a driver for adoption. This year we conducted a study around the uptake of cloud technology and found that while improving efficiency was the main motivator in 2009 (41%), the 2010 survey reveals that drivers for deploying private cloud included experimenting with cloud (19%).

Private cloud is a good home for test and development because as it offers a flexible, cost effective and safe environment to operate in. We recently wrote about a test and development cloud, this type of private cloud deployment provides a self-service test and development infrastructure.

Not only does cloud offer a platform for innovation, but as Ballmer states it also frees up resources by allowing executives time to innovate.

In order to make the most of the cloud it’s essential to approach a migration to cloud carefully. A phrase we like to use is “A cloud is built not bought” and as with all good constructions; comprehensive plans, firm foundations and the right materials are the essential building blocks.

Private clouds are likely to continue to outpace public cloud models and I expect the increase in private cloud adoption to be matched by an increase in innovation.