It's no secret that Microsoft and many other influentials in the technology industry believe in the power of the cloud. Well, now there's research to illustrate how the cloud is impacting businesses in a number of  vertical industries.

Microsoft recently commissioned research with the objective of better understanding how IT decision makers are currently using or plan to adopt cloud-based technology solutions to grow revenue, launch new lines of business, hire staff and innovate. 

The results were grouped into four vertical industries, including financial services, manufacturing, professional services, and retail and hospitality. Among IT decision makers surveyed:

  • 68 percent in financial services said they have been asked to find ways for their companies to save money on the IT side.
  • 33 percent in retail and hospitality believe cloud computing is an opportunity for the IT department to be more strategic.
  • 71 percent in manufacturing said that, in the next year, their IT departments must address the business requirement to work anywhere at any time.
  • 33 percent in professional services said their IT departments must find new ways to enable and support their companies' growing workforce.

The Microsoft News Center  includes more on the overall research findings.