Emerging markets are set to embrace cloud solutions

Some people believe 2012 will be the year when cloud computing really comes to the fore. There’s no doubt that over the next couple of years companies around the world are set to dramatically increase their usage of cloud services. For example, small and medium-sized businesses in emerging markets are expected to increase their spend on cloud services and investments through service providers from $111 million last year to $615 million by 2015.

AMI-Partners recently published its Route-to-Market Opportunity Model showing that hosters, multiple system operators and telcos are in a good position to help SMEs acquire cloud-computing solutions.

Particularly in the emerging markets of Brazil, China, India and Russia, service providers who acquire smaller VARs will be able to diversify and provide basis Software as a Service cloud offerings such as accounting, CRM, email, and business analytics.

Rohan Bose, an associate for AMI, went on to explain that a lot of SMEs in emerging markets will want to bundle together high-speed Internet and SaaS applications in order to increase business efficiency. Service providers are in a unique position to fulfil these needs.

AMI’s report concludes by saying that IT vendors should take advantage of the lucrative opportunities available to them. Many of the smaller service providers are not in a position to offer a complete bundle including high-speed Internet and cloud facilities to small businesses.