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Can you really profit from productivity gains achieved in the cloud? Yes, according to 54.5% of the IT experts surveyed in the “2012 IT in the Cloud Assessment Project” from Qumu. They stress the benefits of switching to cloud-based applications. Businesses also see the cloud as a boon for employees. Here, though, it is necessary to distinguish between large enterprises and small and midsize businesses.

Job creation is a phrase that everyone is happy to hear. And it is something that the cloud actually makes possible, says an IDC study. Around the world, this technology will create thousands of jobs – over 900,000 new positions are estimated alone for the U.S.A. by 2015.

Still, the outlook for the cloud isn’t always so rosy. A VMware study asked IT decision-makers from seven countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa about their investment strategies for the next 18 months. While companies plan to invest a third of their IT budget in the cloud, they still have major concerns. Security and reliability are just two of them.

Enterprise mobility also plays an important role in shaping the future of cloud. Always online and always available – that’s the trend in the age of smartphones, tablets, and iPhones. Whether on a train, in an airport, or at home on the couch, working on the go is always possible. But how safe is your information on this kind of device? The cloud is said to be a jack of all trades, allowing you to work securely and easily, and providing flexibility and cost savings at the same time.

54.5% of IT experts stress the benefits of switching to cloud-based applications

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The benefits are: cost savings (26.9%), improved mobility support (25.9%), time savings (22%), fast implementation (18.5%), better for the environment (12.6%), elasticity to scale up or down as needed (11%), outsourced system support and maintenance (10.9%).

What are the benefits of cloud applications, according to large enterprises?

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Better access to training videos (26.1%), ability to give employees a “voice” to share their ideas (24.3%), better access to expert knowledge (23.6%), improved organization of and search for the company’s video assets (20.6%)

IDC Study: over 900,000 new jobs are expected to be created in the U.S.A. by 2015

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Global comparison of jobs created thanks to the cloud:

Germany: 254,562
China: 4,631,956
India: 2,120,134
USA: 915,848
UK: 226,864
France: 189,196
Japan: 262,717
Russia: 162,420

IDC Study: Jobs created due to the cloud according to year

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2012: 6.7 million
2013: 8.8 million
2014: 11.3 million
2015: 13.8 million

VMware study: IT decision-makers from 7 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were asked about their investment plans for the next 18 months

Graphic: grasundsterne GmbH

Companies plan to invest a third of their IT budget in the cloud. Still, the biggest concerns are: security (52%), losing control over company data (41%), performance and reliability (25%), incompatible technology (23%), reduced control over external cloud utilization/workload (19%)

VMware study: IT decision-makers from 7 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were asked about their investment plans for the next 18 months