Half of companies plan to increase cloud investments in 2012

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

If recent research was not yet indicative of the impact cloud computing is expected to have in the tech industry, a recent study conducted by an IT solutions provider revealed just how vital the technology is to the modern business.

According to the research, 50 percent of respondents indicated their top IT investment for 2012 will be cloud computing. The report authors noted that this marks the second consecutive year in which participants named the cloud as their No. 1 priority.

"Over the past two years cloud computing has moved into the mainstream of IT investment decisions," said the company's vice president of data center services Colin Lacey.

Other areas expected to receive significant investment next year include cybersecurity, mobile/social computing and big data, according to the research firm.

Many of the areas highlighted by the recent study are also considered the IT sectors with the greatest growth potential. IDG News reported that a new study conducted by IT staffing firm Modis revealed nearly 30 percent of survey participants said cloud computing has the most upside moving forward, while 21 percent cited security and mobile computing received 18 percent.