COMPANIES THAT are embracing cloud technology are more innovative and are more likely to work collaboratively, both internally and with customers, a new study has shown.

According to research from the Irish National Software Engineering Research Centre Lero, firms that have moved to the cloud are more likely to engage closely with their customers and listen to their feedback, and have core team engagement in-house.

An international study on cloud computing and its benefits is “badly needed”, researchers said, and the Lero study is the first empirical evidence of claims surrounding the technology.

“You can find lots of web articles out there, but real academic papers with empirical data is lacking,” said Dr Lorraine Morgan, senior researcher with Lero at NUI Galway.

The study looked at both providers and customers, spanning 12 companies. It found that companies who use cloud computing are not only more transparent and open on an internal level, but also are more involved with customers.

“Even with those companies who are only dipping their toe in water, this is what they’re saying they want,” Dr Morgan said.

The use of cloud technology can also save on time taken to roll out new applications, and administration time when the systems are operational.

The study, which is ongoing, is also looking at the challenges of the technology. A follow-up study is looking at the barriers to adoption of the technology.

The cloud sector is growing globally, and figures from Gartner estimate that the worldwide market for public cloud services will increase by 19 per cent to $109 billion this year, before increasing by more than 100 per cent to $207 billion by 2016. That outstrips the overall global IT market, which is forecast to grow by only 3 per cent.