The rise of cloud computing is rapid, inexorable and causing huge upheaval in the  industry.

The gains for customers have been equally dramatic. Compared with older IT systems, cloud computing is often much cheaper. It adds tremendous flexibility: firms that need more computing capacity no longer have to spend weeks adding new servers and installing software. In the cloud they can get hold of it in minutes. Their applications can be updated continually, rather than just every few months. Individual users can reach their e-mails, files and photos from any device. And cloud services also tend to be more secure, since providers know better than their customers how to protect their computing systems against hackers.

Cloud computing is going to continue expanding its reach and depth into our lives, both personally and commercially. Studies have concluded that within the next five to 10 years, more than half of all information technology will be in the cloud.

The cloud is a major part of the future of technology and is promising to be one of the fastest growing global innovations over the next few years.