Get involved in ZDNet Cloud Priorities 2013/14

Cloud Priorities will report on cloud initiatives globally, including current and future take-up of private, hybrid, and public cloud. The research study will uncover the business objectives of cloud projects and the cloud budgets to support these objectives.

Australian respondents to ZDNet's IT Priorities research project in Q1 2013 cited cost management as the primary business objective for their most important 2013 cloud project. Thirty seven percent of businesses were seeking some sort of cost benefit, made up of 19 percent looking to cut costs in the business, 13 percent that wanted efficiencies through better utilisation of IT hardware, and 5 percent targeting efficiencies through automated systems.

Business agility was also important, being ranked the number one objective for cloud projects by 17 percent of businesses. Reflecting a strong focus on customer management systems delivered via software-as-a-service (SaaS) models, 15 percent said increasing sales were a key objective of cloud initiatives.

Have these objectives changed in Q4 2013, or do the earlier objectives remain constant? Check back in late November for the results of ZDNet's new Cloud Priorities APAC research, an in-depth look at infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, SaaS, and private/hybrid cloud.

Better still,  APAC-based readers can get involved by completing the survey, and earn a free copy of the full report, together with a chance to win the new iPhone 5s.