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ast-paced IT development is paving the way for cloud computing to gain a stronger foothold with more services on offer.

Many companies working with big data today are starting to turn their attention to cloud computing.

A survey conducted by RealScale, an international cloud management company that markets Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), indicates that 94 percent of 1068 companies that participated in the survey use cloud services.

More than half of these companies are in the cloud beginners and cloud explorers stages, using cloud services in their first projects and applying cloud computing in their operations, respectively.

Global providers

Cloud services aim to help corporations or individuals, in their operations to access data and programs over the Internet. Gone are the hassles of installing software and preparing big data storage and the supporting hardware.

Google and Microsoft have been in a neck-to-neck race in cloud services. Google with its Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage. An individual or a business that needs more storage space has the choice of 100 GB of storage for US$ 24 a year, 1 TB for $120 a year or 10 TB for $1,200 a year.

When asked about the security of its services, especially with the recent Hearbleed scare that made Internet users, more importantly businesses, vulnerable to hacking, Eran Feigenbaum, director of security for Google Apps, said, '€œThe cloud can be as safe as '€“or in many cases, safer than'€”storing data on-premise.'€

Google Drive users can use Google'€™s dedicated online office software with the documents directly stored in their Google Drive. The same thing can be said about Microsoft'€™s Office 365. The program lets users work with Office documents online, and improve the experience with the ability to share a document with a team and jointly edit it across different platforms.

The Microsoft cloud service'€”OneDrive'€”offers users 7 GB of free storage space, 50 GB for $25 a year, 100 GB for $50 a year, and 200 GB for $100 a year.

Apple also offers its own cloud service, called iCloud, with free and paid plans.

Dropbox and Box are two other popular cloud services. Dropbox is known for being user-friendly, allowing users to manage their files easily.

Box on the other hand offers a slew of choices of tools especially useful for collaborating with colleagues in addition to file privacy options.

Cloud in Indonesia

The importance of cloud computing is also expressed by Dell Indonesia'€™s managing director, Catherine Lian. She said, '€œMore and more organizations realize there is no uniform type of cloud computing.'€ And the survey by RealScale also shows that companies will opt for hybrid and multi-cloud implementations. '€œSeventy-four percent of respondents have a multi-cloud strategy, and 48 percent are planning for hybrid clouds,'€ the survey reveals.

Individual Internet users and more and more enterprises in Indonesia are jumping on the bandwagon. The emergence of cloud computing in the country also indicates steady progress.Businesses focus on cloud computing due to its potential to reduce operational costs in the long run.

According to Frost & Sullivan, this market will experience significant growth even though at present the use of cloud computing in the country is still considered low. As quoted by kompas.com, Frost & Sullivan reported that the market growth of cloud computing in Indonesia would reach more than $120 million by 2017 and that Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) would be the popular choice of Indonesians.

Since 2011, Telkomselhas been marketing Business Connect, a cloud service that the company bundles with its other programs, such as KartuHalo. Telkomsel'€™s Vice President of Technology and System, Ivan C. Permana, said that Business Connect uses Google Apps and was supported by Telkomsel'€™s broadband connection.

Telkomsel is the largest cellular network operator in Indonesia and the sixth largestin the world.

'€œBusiness Connect is Telkomsel'€™s web-based solution for business connectivity. Our clients can manage corporate email, instant messaging, calendars, office operation tools and documents, which can all be integrated,'€ Ivan said.

Ivan added that in February 2014 Telkomsel had signed a working agreement with Axeda Corporation, a leading cloud-based service and software provider. Axeda Corporation is set to connect, develop and manage Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the Indonesian market.

CloudKilat, a part of PT Infinys System Indonesia, is a dedicated cloud service provider located in Jakarta. The company offers cloud service solutions to businesses, profit-based and not-profit organizations as well as individuals. Working with the Linux operating system, CloudKilat promises low-cost packages and stable services and its clients range from popular local online stores to aspiring politicians. It will be interesting to see how the company competes with big-name providers.

Indonesian Cloud is another cloud company with a list of clients that include several state-runbanks and insurance management company'€”Jamsostek and BTN, to name a few'€”as well as big private companies, like Samsung. With various cloud services on offer, the company is attempting to gain a foothold in the cloud computing sector.

But, Indonesian Cloud is also eyeing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with service packages, like Micro.Cloud. With Micro.Cloud, Indonesian Cloud offers budget-friendly cloud services to Indonesia'€™s many SMEs.

In one seminar, sales manager of Infrastructure Solutions at Indonesian Cloud, Indra Lubis, said, '€œCloud is not just about saving cost, it'€™s more about business agility and continuity.'€ By adopting cloud technology, Indonesia'€™s SMEs, well-known for their resilience against crises, are expected to contribute more to the country'€™s economy. (Gandi Faisal)