Experton Group compares the best cloud provider

"The Battle of the system houses is in full swing", is one of the results of this year's "Cloud Vendor Benchmark" Experton Group, compares the provider and shows trends.

The steep upward curve shows the cloud investments, which are expected in 2015 in this country made. "No one would have thought that cloud computing is such a long-lasting trend. The theme is not hype, but rather inherent in the system ", Heiko Henkes, Cloud Lead Advisor explained in Experton Group and project leader of the cloud provider comparison in the sixth edition now.

Investment Motor hums

According to the forecast, the cloud expenditures of many companies, driven by Big Data, Mobility, UC, collaboration and the increasing digitization and networking of this year could be around nine billion euros. This would represent an increase of 37 % y.o.y. For the first time of the expenditure on cloud services (+ 39% to EUR 4.6 billion), the total spending on cloud technologies (+ 33% to EUR 2.9 billion) as well as consulting and integration services (+ 38% to 1.6 billion euros) over wings.

What remains for local system houses?

Looking at the top players, especially for IaaS in self-service Public Clouds to Experton however, asks whether "the great Hyperscaler as AWS, Microsoft and - remain Google in the highly standardized IT environment and thus - already relegated for the local system houses only the place is reserved in the managed service corner ". In this segment, there is therefore only a hoster or a system house that offers the great significant headwinds. Also generally roll the wave of consolidation among system vendors continue.

In addition, shrinking the traditional IT market. While traditional hardware and software expenditures stagnate or decline, what the classical ISVs sit among other under pressure, the "catch basin Services" climb to continue - through expenditures in cloud concepts. "The software market is as usual no longer exist," says Henke - and as many will be fond of perhaps faster. Experton estimates that in 2019 SaaS accepts the supremacy.


Tweaking needed

While some software companies currently, for example, can still rely on Enterprise ERP suites with individual adjustments that brace themselves, among other things because of longer release cycles even against the "Cloudisierung", most resellers would have their strategies actually fine tuning immediately. However, at present the "Private Cloud Readiness" the user the Cloud Readiness of system vendors and hosting service is a mere 10 to 15 %, according to Experton only at 20 to 25 %. Ostrich-like policy, resignation or still functioning business?

Of course, the complete service range in the cloud segment, not everyone can offer. "Generalists are increasingly interchangeable," Henkes are to be considered as well. However, whether the cloud "Adhesive future-proof business models and partnerships serve as a vehicle for ecosystems and platforms". So be approximately in the distribution according Experton, So "go faster and more aggressive than the rest".

And also on cooperation with major suppliers, such as marketplace operators, addition to local system houses can cut a piece of skill by admittedly not easy to reach cloud cake.

Survival Tips

• That the times of pure crate trafficking are gone, nothing is new. The trend toward more cloud computing accelerated this development, however, more and calls for new strategies.
• Consulting services, including expertise on the technology provider in the cloud environment, help Experton Group, according to the customer to get through the jungle party.
• Know why the service of this or that agent should be used in the special situation, therefore is essential.
• In addition, compliance requirements for businesses are an important issue.
• Some system vendors bought added in the recent past security and privacy expertise.
• In terms of industry expertise, which needs have individual sectors of the economy, is still much room for improvement.
• Even in-house developments, consider the very special requirements of individual industries and can complement existing solutions involve potential.
• The major cloud platforms offer according Experton a "new opportunity", especially for niche players. Allows you to use the long-tail effect of the Internet this yet. In addition, a critical mass of users can achieve more.

Other key findings of the cloud vendor comparison

Distribution: So is faster and more aggressive on the road than the rest.

Broker: T-Systems is ahead, German Stock Exchange (DBCE) with potential.

Market: The German Telekom at the tip is increasingly set by Salesforce and AWS under pressure.

ISV: Microsoft is a leader in SaaS business; Oracle, SAP and more are following suit.

SaaS CRM: Salesforce continues on the customer-contact-throne; Follow Microsoft and SAP.

SaaS ERP for SMEs: Sage has the most customers, SAP is further off; Exact's Rising Star.

Cloud Workplaces: Pre-assembled and therefore cost jobs find large companies best at T-Systems and the middle class in Cancom / Pironet - AWS is always interesting.

(Unified) Communication as a Service: Standardized communication with virtual PBX from the socket, there is in an excellent manner at Deutsche Telekom.

IaaS Self Service: pioneer AWS is Primus and delivers now also from Germany; Host Europe is the only system house or hoster which provides headwind; ProfitBricks is Rising Star.

Hybrid IaaS Managed Enterprise: T-Systems, IBM, HP and BT lead in this market of the future; Dimension Data's new in the group of leaders.

IaaS Managed Private: Cancom / Pironet NDH is the leading system house here; CenturyLink's rising star with great potential for the future; the German Telekom has the greatest competitive strength.

IaaS SME: IBM is the most attractive; Dimension Data (Rising Star) understands the market and brings with long strides.

Cloud Transformation: Is pure infrastructure transformation in 2015 from currently? Definitely not! What counts is the clever combination of technical architecture with new business models. Is it worth certifications and standardizations and sector-specific skills in the context of compliance conformance?
Absolutely, but not single-handedly and without technical knowledge. Canopy (Atos) has also in 2015 the highest portfolio attractiveness; EMC is making great progress, acentrix's Rising Star; FRITZ & MACZIOL vigorously attacks and has the most "gold" badge or partnerships.

PaaS: Microsoft provides the most integrated and self-roundest offer the currently most complex cloud layer; Progress is Rising Star; Parallels (Odin) settles with the container technology at an OpenStack; Red Hat beats with OpenShift similar way as a CF Cloud Foundry.

Inter-connectivity platforms: Cloud Colocation Hubs are the bridges formerly separate private and public infrastructures and ensure over best-of-breed solutions and cooperative partner solutions for Enterprise-compliant (default) security and performance based on a tight SLA corsets. Equinix has here currently the best cards in comparison with competitors.

Software Defined is the big buzz word in today's data center. This is made possible by the software-based merging formerly separate physical worlds to network, storage and server level; Cloud Management & Orchestration solutions must attack here. VMware is still the market leader and behaves cleverly; competition from the open source camp moves ever closer, however. OpenStack is now set, but should be refined necessarily individually.

Safety first: The encryption of cloud-based infrastructure and services is on the user side a perennial favorite, and thus more important for providers than ever. Trend Micro falls most positively on cooperation with CipherCloud (T-Systems).