Cloud computing began with the simple promise of bringing significant cost savings and greater efficiencies to IT operations. Cloud is now seen as an innovation vehicle to unlock business value and advance business objectives such as shaping new markets and reaching new customers. Consider the transformation around content creation and delivery that is happening across the media and entertainment world. Netflix, would not have existed today without cloud as its foundation.
The term cloud was used to refer to platforms for distributed computing as early as 1993, when Apple spin-off General Magic and AT&T used it in describing their Telescript and PersonaLink technologies.
Similar industry-specific cloud solutions and examples are emerging daily, as the leading cloud providers—Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
Industry Cloud is now abuzz with activity. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers are also eyeing a share in this growing marketplace, evolving from a pure horizontal focus on CRM, HCM or Finance to industry solutions as well.
Take for example SAP Vehicles Network, a B2B marketplace of automotive companies focused on mobility solutions. It introduces participating mobility solution providers to a wider global network and helps them create new revenue streams. Similarly, NetSure recently launched a range of industry cloud solutions for financial services, wholesale and manufacturing industries, which offer pre-configured KPIs and dashboards for participating companies, helping them drive growth and reduce costs.
References
www.sap.com
www.accenture.com/za.-en/cloud/services
www.wikipedia.org/coud
