MIT & Infosys – Global Cloud Ecosystem, 2023

The report by MIT & Infosys Global Cloud Ecosystem highlights the significance of the cloud in driving cost and resource efficiency for companies and countries. Despite its established capabilities, the maturity of cloud adoption is lacking, necessitating the need for global standards. The report's findings reveal two stages of cloud maturity globally: one where firms adopt cloud for cost reduction purposes, and a second where cloud investments are linked to positive business value. These two stages are converging rapidly. Key findings include the global impact of cloud on both the top and bottom lines, with analysts estimating a 29% rise in global cloud infrastructure spending in 2022. The majority of survey respondents report improved cost efficiency due to cloud deployments, and a significant percentage track cloud return on investment (ROI) and report positive ROI. Data privacy protection and governance are identified as vital factors to accelerate cloud adoption, with varying perceptions of national data sovereignty and privacy frameworks. Despite this, the majority of respondents claim to keep pace with these concerns. A significant number of survey respondents utilize zero-trust architecture, which removes instances of trust by default and has become a standard for cloud and artificial intelligence (AI). However, one-third of respondents do not routinely identify and classify cloud assets. The report also emphasizes the cloud's role in sustainability, as it enables scalability of computing resources and helps mitigate compliance issues such as security, privacy, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. A majority of respondents utilize cloud tools for ESG reporting and compliance, as well as for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) compliance.