In terms of the cloud computing service lines globally, SaaS will shrink from 87 per cent of the market in 2011, to 62 per cent in 2016, due to the rise of IaaS and PaaS, which will grow from nine per cent and five per cent, respectively, to 23 per cent and 16 per cent, at the end of the forecast period.

According to Laurent Lachal, Ovum's cloud computing Senior Analyst, while the market is growing at a fast pace and players such as Amazon and Google are making much progress, the impact of public clouds will not be to render IT departments obsolete, but rather to shift their focus.

He commented: 'Shifts will include taking a more holistic approach to connecting networks, hardware and software. IT departments will also reduce their emphasis on maintenance and increase their innovation, while being encouraged to take more risks, by giving employees the capacity to tackle high-reward ventures.

"But as ever, preparation is the key to ensuring that cloud computing delivers a positive outcome."