Defining Cloud Computing Highlights Provider Gaps In The Australian Ict Market

Cloud computing has emerged as an area of increasing interest for both ICT vendors and end-users alike over the past 24 months, with industry leading organisations all presenting their cloud computing credentials and strategies to the open market. For example, during 2008 IBM opened 13 cloud centres world wide to assist clients to understand and apply cloud principles while Microsoft announced in April 2008 that it would build a computing hub for its cloud-based Information Worker offerings in Singapore. This was followed by the launch of their Azure Services Platform in November of the same year.

As a result of this increasing activity Longhaus undertook to assess both the demand and supply side trends surrounding cloud computing in the Australian market. Specifically, we sought to identify the available cloud computing providers in Australia and obtain a baseline of cloud computing usage levels and adoption intent across Australia’s medium and large enterprises. The data, gathered as part of the Longhaus 2009 ICT Spending and Priorities Studyi, the Longhaus Q3 2009 CIO Confidence Pollii and secondary research for providers, was then contrasted with the results of briefings from IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, CA, VMWare, Firstservis and Ultra Serve to determine the future directions of cloud computing and its implications for Australian end-user organisations and the local ICT market.