2014: A transformative year for cloud computing

THE cloud matured faster last year than in any previous year, with pace-setting organisations using it to accelerate the adoption of mobile, social, analytics and Big Data technologies. But last year was just the tip of the iceberg, compared to what this year has in store for the cloud community.

To say this year will be a transformative year for the cloud would be an understatement. The push for interoperable clouds, built on open standards, the evolution of delivery models, and the convergence of cloud ecosystems, are just a few examples of trends that will shape cloud computing in the year ahead.

Based on the insights gained from US$6 billion invested in research and development (R&D), 1,400 cloud patents and more than 37,000 cloud specialists, an IBM team looked ahead to see what the cloud would bring to organisations this year. They found some broad trends.