Global #CloudInfluence Rankings Show Microsoft and IBM Stealing Mind Share Lead Over Amazon in Cloud

March 2, 2015 - PRLog -- LONDON, Mar. 2, 2015 — Microsoft and IBM top the global #CloudInfluence rankings for February 2015 launched today by Compare the Cloud, the first and only dedicated cloud service comparison website. Apple was in 3^rd with Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS) trailing in 4^th and 5^th.

“All the cloud players are in a massive battle for market share and mind share,” commented Dan Thomas, founder of Compare the Cloud. “Until Amazon breaks out its AWS revenues separately as it will for the first time in its next financial report, we won’t know for sure, but its cloud growth appears to be faltering in the face of recent stiff competition from Microsoft and IBM. And while AWS remains in a league of its own in terms of scale, it can no longer claim to be bigger than its closest four competitors combined. “

Focused on how influential each firm or individual is, based on a big data analysis of where, how and how often they are quoted or referenced in social media, blogs and print media, the global #CloudInfluence rankings look beyond the level of marketing activity to the real impact that it is having on the market.

“Microsoft and IBM have massive marketing machines and huge ecosystems supporting their products and services,” added Bill Mew CMO at Compare the Cloud. “It is evident from the global #CloudInfluence rankings that these are beginning to tell in the market. Amazon prides itself on being a relatively lean operation compared to the traditional players, but it cannot afford to be complacent or to under estimate these giants – both of which are focused on displacing AWS. It needs to step up its marketing efforts if it is to avoid its mind share deficit further impacting its market share.”

#CloudInfluence League Table highlights:

Global 50 #CloudInfluence Organisations: Microsoft retains top spot, but IBM climbs from 6^th to 2^nd following the announcement of a $4 billion investment to grow its revenue in areas like cloud computing to $40 billion by 2018. Amazon is in 4^th just behind Apple with its cloud business AWS in 5^th.

Global 50 #CloudInfluence Individuals: former hacker Marc Rogers, the principal security researcher at CloudFlare Inc., climbs from 3^rd to 1^st; Rodney Rogers, chairman and CEO of Virtustream, climbs to 2^nd from 4^th; Paul Turner, technology evangelist and CMO at Cloudian, Inc. enters ranking at 3^rd, but Microsoft’s Satya Nadella falls from 1^st to 4^th .

Other #CloudInfluence highlights: With the global #CloudInfluence rankings being dominated by firms and individuals from the US, Compare the Cloud also adds a special analysis for the UK which was again lead by Simon Porter from IBM. It also lists the cloud bursters – the most rapidly rising stars in the rankings.

About The #CloudInfluence League Tables

The rankings appear as monthly league tables listing the most influential firms and individuals in cloud computing. Based on big data analytics of all major global news, blogs, forums, and social media interaction. The February league tables provide a snapshot taken on the last day of February of the respective influence of both organisations and individuals over the last quarter. The league tables are intended to provide readers with unique insights into who the most influential organisations and individuals in the Cloud arena really are.

Compare the Cloud uses the Appinions tool for its complex English-language contextual sentiment analysis in order to obtain big-data insights from global news feeds, blogs, forums, and social media. Aside from Compare the Cloud, other Appinions media partners include Forbes magazine, which uses the technology to publish a list of The World's Most Influential CMOs (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2014/11/07/the-worlds-most-influential-cmos-2014/?utm_content=buffer8912e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) and The Economist, which uses the technology to publish a list of the most influential economists (http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21637412-economists-academic-rankings-and-media-influence-vary-wildly-shifting-clout?utm_content=bufferb0c71&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer (http://econ.st/1bbsctb)).

About Compare The Cloud

Compare the Cloud champions the adoption and value of cloud computing to businesses. It helps companies select services and providers best suited to their needs. Compare the Cloud offers much more than just the means to compare service providers – it is a central hub, information resource and community for all things Cloud and designed specifically for use by businesses seeking to embrace this new form of IT delivery and consumption.

Useful links:

·   Global 50 #CloudInfluence Organisations League Table for February 2015 goes live on Monday 2 March 2015 at http://www.comparethecloud.net/blog/

·   Global 50 #CloudInfluence Individuals League Table for February 2015 goes live on Tuesday 3 March 2015

·   Other #CloudInfluence highlights for February 2015 (including rising stars) goes live on Wednesday 4 March 2015

Information on these results is available in advance to press on request from Bill@ComparetheCloud.net