Taking Your Cloud Solution Global

The global market for cloud computing is predicted to reach $177 billion by 2017 according to Gartner. The large companies have established an international presence – Google clouds lurk over Singapore and Hong Kong, as an example. However, small and medium cloud companies need to craft their international expansion strategies in order to identify channel partners and make sales. As SaaS companies are expected to comprise the largest component of the global cloud market, they are uniquely poised to benefit from going global.
Yet many small/medium cloud companies are not focused on international growth. They should be. The Korean government is moving its IT focus towards the cloud to save money. The Japanese government is likewise shifting to the cloud, particularly to rely on disaster recovery mechanisms in the wake of last year’s tsunami. China is corralling efforts to create a “cloud valley,” or multiple versions thereof. These represent but a few of the opportunities available to U.S. cloud companies who have not yet gone global.
Cloud is one area where the U.S. Government is here to help. The U.S. Commercial Service (USCS), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce with offices in Embassies and Consulates around the world, is uniquely positioned to help U.S. cloud companies find channel partners or end-users. Likewise, the USCS can advocate with host country governments on behalf of cloud companies regarding data privacy concerns or policies that discriminate against U.S. firms. Additionally, the Bureau of Industrial Security (BIS), also part of the U.S. department of Commerce, mandates regulations regarding export controls of sensitive data. BIS can help cloud companies, large and small, determine the procedures for the potential export of the requisite data.
The USCS is helping cloud companies enter markets in Asia, Africa and beyond by identifying channel partners and jointly hosting events (often with the presence of the U.S. Ambassador or senior government representative) to reach out to end-users. The presentation would consist of case studies – what worked and what floundered as small/medium cloud companies pursue business opportunities beyond the United States. The world is moving towards the cloud – small/medium cloud companies, particularly SaaS, should benefit from this outlook.