In fact, some say it is struggling and needs to be kick-started but all agreed it is here to stay and businesses, as well as the channel, should get their heads into the Cloud. They say it may become the core of business in future and with the rise of other trends such as globalisation and mobility, it will drive commercial outcomes. They also agreed that the Cloud benefits the channel. Strategies suggested include forging customer relations, building their own Cloud infrastructure or distributing another business' Cloud offering.

The bigger picture of Cloud adoption can be seen in a recent study by Fujitsu and Microsoft Australia, Cloud in Australia, which polled 179 CIOs across the country. It reinforced the notion that though Cloud computing is still in its infancy, it is the future of ICT.

It showed that the Cloud is increasingly being regarded as ready for core business systems like ERP and Business Intelligence, while migration is well underway for applications such as email and messaging.

However, Microsoft Australia chief technology officer, Greg Stone, said that while Cloud continues to mature, it still lacks a standard definition . "In the eyes of the surveyed CIOs, Cloud is still difficult to define but they know what it means to them. While more than 50 per cent of respondents say Cloud is overhyped, they nearly all agree that it is justified as it offers many advantages for their organisations," Stone said.

Three key elements