Personal cloud market will experience strong growth over next five years

The personal cloud market continues to grow rapidly as end-users and businesses seek efficient ways to carry important files everywhere. Portable cloud storage that can provide network drive access to multiple computers will become increasingly vital  as individuals use a wider range of desktop and mobile devices.

According to research from MarketsandMarkets, the personal cloud market was worth $6.6 billion in 2013. Over the next five years, it will expand at a 46 percent compound annual growth rate, topping $43 billion in 2018. Individual users will spearhead this move, but many small and midsize businesses will also adopt personal cloud technologies as they refine their cloud storage systems.

More specifically, the portability and affordability of personal clouds will contribute to initiatives like disaster recovery and business continuity. Personal clouds may also benefit bring-your-own-device implementations as a natural fit for employees already used to accessing data on the go. Alongside a smartphone or tablet, a worker can use a personal cloud to be more productive in the office or at home.

"Access to information on the go has always been challenging for users in this digital age," stated MarketsandMarktets' report summary. "USBs, portable hard drives, laptops [and] smartphones have helped in this endeavor to an extent. But the real challenge lies in accessing the most critical information at the right moment."

For businesses, it will be essential to ensure that personal clouds are used responsibly and securely. Writing for CSO Online, Wayne Tufek identified some of the general risks associated with moving data to cloud infrastructure, highlighting the importance of engaging anyone who has access to sensitive data and assessing risk accordingly. Despite the technology's consumer-facing origins, businesses should hold personal clouds to the same security standards as any other cloud-connected device.

2013-10-16T16:59:53+00:00

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