The impact of cloud computing has only just begun, EIU report finds

The continued adoption of cloud computing will have far reaching ramifications and its impact has only just begun. That is the lesson from a new collection of essays curated by The Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Fujitsu.

The Impact of Cloud report contains contributions from six noted cloud experts. These include Mark Ridley, technology director at recruitment website reed.co.uk, who argues that cloud computing is one reason why hierarchical organisational structures are becoming obsolete, and Dr Jonathan Liebenau, reader in technology management at the London School of Economics, who explains why not all countries and industries will feel the economic rewards of cloud computing equally.
Dr James Mitchell, CEO of cloud broker Strategic Blue, argues that the dominant pricing model for cloud computing is broken. Analyst Paul Miller explains why the cloud will empower individuals to control their personal data.

Other contributors to the report are Dr Tua Huomo, FUTURE CLOUD action line leader at EIT ICT labs, who examines the impact of cloud on the IT industry, and Professor Ian Bitterlin of The Green Grid Association, who explores its environmental impact.

The report encourages IT and business executives to think holistically about cloud computing and its significance. It has the potential to change not only the way businesses buy IT, but also how they are organised, their commercial models, their impact on the planet, and the way the interact with their customers.