On 4 February 2021, the Advanced Technology for Industry (ATI) project published its Technology Watch on Cloud Computing. The report highlights the cloud market trends, business opportunities, social and sustainability impacts, as well as the role of policies within cloud computing.
Cloud computing is the storing, processing, and use of data on remotely located computers accessed over the internet. It allows accessing data anywhere without having to make important capital investments. The importance of cloud computing is growing as the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that by 2025 46% of the world’s stored data will reside in the public cloud environment.
The report highlights several benefits of this advanced technology. Examples are edge computing, as real-time data can be processed directly on edge devices; and the use of federated clouds, allowing interoperability and connectivity across cloud services. However, there is a challenge with the production of global greenhouse gas as, in 2016, data centres contributed to 2% of GHG emissions.
Use cases of cloud computing are divided into three different categories:
- Creating new products and services;
- Optimising operations; and
- Transforming customer experience / creating customer loyalty.
Currently, cloud computing is not only used for additional data storage and computing power, but it is also used to access services and applications.
This technology watch underlines the role of cloud computing in innovation and the improvement of efficiency and productivity, therefore having a positive impact on growth and jobs. It is important to mention that this has been allowed by policies supporting and shaping the European cloud market. For instance, the first European Cloud Strategy was launched in 2012 and the European Union (EU) now has a complete Cloud Computing Policy.
To know more about the trends in cloud computing, the business opportunities and the related policies, please consult the report itself. Learn more about the ATI project here.