Cloud Computing Reimagining Corporate Structures

 

Cloud computing has already changed the way companies operate, with whole IT departments moving onto the cloud in order to cut costs and realize greater efficiency.

In fact, a recent study from IBM found that the percentage of companies that are substantially using cloud computing will reach 41 per cent in three years, compared to only 13 per cent today.

However, these changes are only the beginning, with many now predicting that companies will also begin to see their business models shift as cloud computing becomes more prevalent. Instead of just changing the day-to-day running of IT functions, the cloud will soon allow business structures to be redefined.

The outsourcing and consulting firm Accenture expects that these changes will enable a range of new business operations to become available to company directors.

In the future, companies are expected to be less reliant on a building and a set number of staff when it comes to realizing projects. Instead, companies will have a core set of cloud-based business operations, with teams and projects operating in a much more fluid manner around these objectives.

Cloud-based project management software like StrategyBlocks will also become more valuable, as a way for executives to plan and manage a diverse range of initiatives. These management tools will be crucial for enabling new business models to arise, based on cloud computing.

While these trends are still developing, many are already being pursued by companies. IBM found that 57 per cent of respondents to their survey are looking to cloud computing as a way to improve their competitive advantage, specifically through vertical integration of their business model.

With business leaders pursuing these trends with much greater interest, the future is likely to hold a range of new business models based on cloud computing.