Advances in cloud computing are now making it possible for every company to be a digital competitor.

Because of the cloud, huge investments in software and systems are no longer necessary – so even small companies can afford to compete. And there are benefits for large businesses as well, as they are able to reduce their costs and gain greater flexibility.

So how do you get your company into the cloud? One way is to adopt a policy of “try, buy, and scale,” gradually integrating cloud services into your internal processes and IT services.

Download “The New Digital Economy: How it Will Transform Business” from Oxford Economics to learn more.

Over the years, economies have been shaped and reshaped by groundbreaking inventions – and the internet is perhaps the most revolutionary of them all, benefitting both developed and developing economies.

One of the best descriptions of the internet comes from David Reed, one of its early conceptualizers. The internet, according to Reed, consists of three conceptual clouds: the connectivity cloud – for the transfer of information; the resource cloud – for the storage of data; and the social cloud – for networking and collaboration. These clouds, which can be public, private, or semi-private, provide the infrastructure for the digital economy.

According to Oxford Economics, executives will likely adopt a hybrid cloud computing strategy that combines both private and public clouds. Adopting a policy of “try, buy, and scale,” gradually integrating cloud services into existing internal processes and IT services, is a safe, gradual way for small and midsize companies to approach cloud. Larger corporations, however, should more rapidly explore the cloud’s potential for reducing costs, boosting flexibility, and improving data flow – to compete with a new range of cloud-enabled competitors.

Read more about cloud computing in established and emerging markets in this information-packed report.