As the inaugural national cloud week kicks off today, a new report has found that Irish companies have yet to fully embrace cloud computing but the potential is there for it to play a significant role in getting the Irish economy back to growth.
The Microsoft/Amarach Cloud Index supports previous studies that show early adoption of cloud computing by Irish users would take costs of 500 million out of organisations and could lead to the creation of almost 9,000 jobs.
The index found that 77% believed cloud computing could play a part in the recovery of the economy and 7% of organisations that have implemented could computing have created new jobs as a result, while three in 10 companies reported being able to expand without additional spending due to cloud computing.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton said that "the Government has identified cloud computing as a key sector where Ireland has potential to become a world leader, helping to create the jobs and growth we so badly need."
The Government recently announced funding of €1.2 million to establish a Cloud Computing Technology Research Centre based across a consortium of third level colleges and institutes of technology.
Fiona Donnellan