The US cloud computing market has grown quickly for widespread usage. Up from 58% last year, about 78% of medium and large enterprises already use or are testing a cloud solution. On average, cloud as a percentage of enterprise IT stands at 4.4%. Use of cloud in enterprise IT is a mile-wide, an inch deep, and growing fast.

New research from WaveLength Market Analytics and Winn Technology Group, The Continuing Enterprise Cloud Computing Evolution, shows that 2012 saw the emergence of a new segment, the multicloud users. About 19% of the market is comprised of them, called Cloud Pros. Other segments are Cloud Pioneers (59%) that actively use or pilot a cloud, Cloud Planners (12%) with cloud plans, and Stragglers (10%) with no plans.

“The enterprise cloud market and segments have quickly evolved; today’s meaningful question is no longer if cloud is used but rather how much,” said Natalie Robb, of WaveLength Market Analytics. “Last year, cloud users said they expected 28% of IT to be cloud-based by 2015 and now they expect around 35%. Knowing what sets Cloud Pros and Pioneers apart is crucial for technology and telecom firms to advance technologies and reach buyers.”

Other key findings from WaveLength/Winn’s report include:

• Pros and Pioneers use multiple data centers, but nearly all Pros use AWS, while Pioneers are more likely to use IBM, Verizon, and Rackspace.
• To prepare for cloud, Pros invested in network performance improvements while Pioneers invested in storage and security.
• With 48% of all cloud users, human resources apps surpassed CRM and email as the most common enterprise application in the cloud.
• Biggest gain in enterprise and infrastructure cloud service usage is desktop apps, which grew from 6% last year to nearly 26%, and back-up and disaster recovery, which surged from 17% to 38%.

The Continuing Enterprise Cloud Computing Evolution discusses broad trends in the changing cloud computing market. It examines penetration of different service deployment models, projects to prepare for deployment, and cloud enterprise application adoption.

The Continuing Enterprise Cloud Computing Evolution is a joint effort: Winn Technology Group collected the data and WaveLength conducted the analysis. Two more reports on the enterprise cloud market segments will be released in the coming weeks.

About WaveLength Market Analytics

WaveLength Market Analytics specializes in combining knowledge of technology markets, products and services with quantitative analysis for strategies and programs that deliver superior results. WaveLength's work includes business-to-business, consumer, service provider, and distribution channels across a range of technologies.

About Winn Technology Group

Winn Technology Group is a leading provider of global, integrated marketing solutions. Working exclusively with the technology industry since 1990, Winn partners with leading firms and rising stars to develop and execute successful B2B marketing campaigns for direct and channel sales.

To download the study, click this link.

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