The State of the Cloud
Results from the 2020 Frost & Sullivan Global Cloud User Survey
22-Dec-2020
Global
Market Research
K534-01-00-00-00
IT04259-GL-MT_25087
The first months of 2020 separated the digitally mature from the pack. In response to COVID-19’s economic chaos, including disrupted supply chains; shutdowns in physical facilities; and a shift in priorities from growth to health and safety, the companies best able to pivot were those that were already well into their cloud journeys. Such firms leveraged a cloud foundation to support remote workers; protect data assets; serve clients and partners; and change, update, and manage critical business software on the fly.
The 2020 Frost & Sullivan Global Cloud User Survey polled1621 business and IT decision-makers worldwide, representing a range of industries and company sizes. The results emphasize the divide between the digitally mature and those who have chosen a more leisurely approach to digitalization. It also reveals the challenges that still remain as businesses struggle to survive in the “new normal.”
Among the interesting findings of this year’s survey:
o Multi-cloud adoption has skyrocketed in the past year, up 54%. Hybrid cloud adoption is up 14%.
o Business executives are more optimistic than IT leaders about the positive impact of technology investments on their business.
o Overall, respondents are convinced that they are more digitally advanced than their competitors, which could present a risk.
This report reveals highlights of the survey, with insightful analysis and growth opportunities for cloud and managed service providers.
Author: Lynda Stadtmueller
Cloud User Survey
- Cloud User Survey
Speak directly with our analytics experts for tailored recommendations.
Recent related IT Services and Applications research
28 Oct 2026 | Global | Frost Radar
Frost Radar™: Network as a Service, 2026
Network as a service (NaaS) has evolved beyond bandwidth on demand into a digital operating model that brings together connectivity, cloud, security, observability, automation, and life cycle management through unified digital experiences. As enterprises expand multicloud environments, edge deployme...
26 Oct 2026 | North America | Frost Radar
Frost Radar™: Data Center Colocation Services in North America, 2026
Data center colocation services have become a foundational component of enterprise digital infrastructure, enabling organizations to balance performance, security, scalability, and cost optimization across increasingly distributed IT environments. Colocation facilities serve as critical interconnect...
23 Oct 2026 | Global | Technology Research
Growth Opportunities in GPU-as-a-Service, Hyperscale & AI-Focused Digital Infrastructure, AI-ready Data Center, Prompt-based Builder, Docs-as-code, and Artificial Chip Intelligence
This edition of the IT, Computing and Communication Technology Opportunity Engine explores GPU-as-a-Service, Hyperscale & AI-Focused Digital Infrastructure, and AI-Ready Data Centers to scale AI compute capabilities. Prompt-Based Builders and Docs-as-Code accelerate software development, while Artif...
16 Oct 2026 | Global | Frost Radar
Frost Radar™: Satellite IoT, 2026
Direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and 3GPP NTN standards are reshaping the satellite IoT market. Release 17 enabled satellite NB-IoT through standard cellular modules, SIMs, and devices. The shift to 5G New Radio NTN supports higher-throughput, delay-sensitive services, such as direct-to-smartphon...
15 Oct 2026 | Latin America | Frost Radar
Frost Radar™: Managed Cloud Service Providers in Latin America, 2026
Cloud has become an established component of enterprise technology strategy in Latin America, but adoption has not necessarily reduced complexity. Many organizations now operate fragmented environments: public cloud, private cloud, on-premises infrastructure, legacy applications, SaaS platforms, and...
Purchase includes:
- Report download
- Growth Dialog™ with our experts
Growth Dialog™
A tailored session with you where we identify the:- Strategic Imperatives
- Growth Opportunities
- Best Practices
- Companies to Action
Impacting your company's future growth potential.