How Users Select a Public Cloud Provider

Since 2010, Frost & Sullivan has conducted an annual web-based survey of enterprise cloud decision makers. The goal is to understand not just what choices they make about cloud workloads and data, but also why. One area of inquiry is why enterprises have selected their primary public cloud service provider. In this highly concentrated market, the top three providers represent 80% of global revenue, and the top seven account for around 95%. With similar price points and technologies and with few barriers to stop enterprises from moving apps from cloud to cloud, how do the cloud providers distinguish themselves and gain loyal followers? In this report, Frost & Sullivan examines how respondents assess their cloud service providers on a variety of characteristics to determine meaningful differentiation points.

Key findings include:
•     Organizations use on average three public cloud service providers.
•     Users are highly satisfied with their primary public cloud service provider, rating them on average 4.16 on a scale of 5.
•     Customer service, competitive cost, and brand reputation top the list of reasons why users select their primary public cloud provider.
•     Oracle Cloud Infrastructure users are the most delighted among all cloud users surveyed, citing more criteria for selecting OCI than users of other clouds.

Author: Lynda Stadtmueller