CIOs must cloud-enable business processes to make companies more agile, according to John Sculley, former CEO of Apple.
The Cloud Computing World Forum opened with a keynote from Sculley, who predicted cloud adoption would grow exponentially.
He said: "Technology over the last 40 years has been very linear. Cloud computing will move from linear growth to exponential growth, because it is not based on a single microprocessor."
For instance, the cost per Gbyte of storage has been slashed from $5 to 25 cents in just a matter of years, he explained.
"As a consequence we will see the rapid commoditisation of many things like mobile device management, which will eventually be free," said Sculley.
Top five quick cloud wins Use cloud mail and collaboration services; Provide web-based and content rich applications; Migrate CRM and ERP into the cloud; Move legacy MS into Azure; Downsize Cobol apps to a private cloud.
Andrew Greenway, global director of cloud services at Accenture and former CIO of Kraft UK, also spoke at the event.
"Over next seven years all our clients will need to develop a strategy to include cloud," he said.
Greenway said the cloud allows businesses to upgrade processes to be more agile. IT moves from service builder to service manager.
But for cloud computing to succeed and grow, Greenway said IT professionals must understand business processes and be prepared to deliver new IT capabilities to the business on short demand.
