A newly released Gartner report predicts that by 2014 users will store more data in the cloud than on their personal computers. Gartner analysts said they believe that this shift will provide users with greater flexibility and enable them to be more productive. The report further notes that this cloud computing shift will require organizations to rethink their strategy for delivering applications and services.

Steve Kleynhans, Gartner VP of research, goes on to say that “Major trends in client computing have shifted the market away from a focus on personal computers to a broader device perspective that includes smartphones, tablets and other consumer devices.” “Many call this era the post-PC era, but it isn’t really about being ‘after’ the PC, but rather about a new style of personal computing that frees individuals to use computing in fundamentally new ways to improve multiple aspects of their work and personal lives.”

Gartner also describes five “megatrends” that are driving the shift toward the “personal cloud.”Continue Reading