Cloud computing: a hope for European economies and U.S. feds

In the near future cloud computing will drastically contribute to the development of 5 major EU economies (Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the UK). According to the CEBR forecasts this technology is likely to bring €763bn revenue and create 2.4mln jobs in these national markets.
Cloud computing services are becoming commodities – nowadays more and more companies instead of maintaining the whole IT infrastructure choose more lightweight IT solutions. This technology provides IT services on demand via the Internet. Hence, various businesses may opt for serving their IT needs at reduced costs. Companies don’t have to invest wads of cash at once to get an IT solution and, instead, get a monthly subscription for software services and pay for them in installments. In this case a company shifts from a more flexible in-house IT solution to more scalable and powerful cloud computing services.
Currently the U.S. administration is also considering adoption of more cost-effective cloud technology – the Obama’s administration has set a goal to implement fewer proprietary IT projects and take advantage of cloud-based technologies. The federal agencies are to switch to a new system from 2012. For this purpose, US government has given software companies a chance to showcase cloud computing services on its online portal Apps.gov.

Belarus is in the top-5 exporters of IT services in Central and Eastern Europe

Outsourcing Association in CEE published its annual report on the state of software development industry in the counties of Central and Eastern Europe. Belarus was rated as the fifth top exporter of IT services.

The volume of IT outsourcing in Belarus amounts 310 million dollars, it is 10 and 50 million dollars greater than in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria (the 6th and the 7th places in the Top-15 respectively). This top list of leaders of IT outsourcing in Central and Eastern Europe looks as follows:

1. Ukraine – 530 million dollars,
2. Romania – 410 million dollars,
3. Hungary – 375 million dollars,
4. Poland – 350 million dollars,
5. Belarus – 310 million dollars,
6. Czech Republic – 300 million dollars,
7. Bulgaria – 250 million dollars,
8. Serbia – 157 million dollars,
9. Estonia – 105 million dollars,
10. Slovakia – 90 million dollars,
11. Lithuania – 55 million dollars,
12. Croatia – 50 million dollars,
13. Moldova – 30 million dollars,
14. Latvia – 27 million dollars,
15. Slovenia – 14 million dollars.

It’s a noteworthy fact that Gartner analysts did not include Belarus in the Top-30 best IT outsourcing countries last year. And at the same time they included Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic taking the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th positions in Top-15 of CEEOA.