Cloud Services to Become Global IT Trend: IBM

Taipei, Oct. 15, 2012 (CENS)--Influenced by ubiquitous mobile devices and network applications today, the future trend of information technology (IT) will be mobile management, information security, Big Data, and cloud computing, according to a survey by International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), the American multinational IT and consulting firm.

Responding to the IT trend in the near future, many Taiwanese makers of server components including Quanta Computer Inc. and Wistron Corp., plan to seize the business potential of cloud computing and big data, which could also offset downturn in revenues from notebook (NB) related products.

With burgeoning demand for cloud computing globally, Quanta in 2012 started tapping markets as servers, storage devices, and networking switches, targeting revenues for non-NB segments of at least NT$ 300 billion (US$ 10 billion).

A survey by IBM of chief information officers (CIO) worldwide recently shows 83% of respondents regard analysis of Big Data as key in advanced IT development and management of the future, followed by mobile management and cloud computing, with the proportions of 74% and 68%, respectively.

Rising cloud services drive global demand for servers and storage devices. Shipments of servers surged sixfold 2000 to 2010, with growth of storage device shipments skyrocketing 69 times over the ten years.

Some 32 million plus servers exist globally, and the main purpose of Big Data analysis is searching business potential and predicting possible solutions among such massive digital data, according to Steve Mills, senior vice president of software and system department of IBM.