20 May 2020

Public Cloud Proves an Exception to the Rule as Spending Grows Following COVID-19 Outbreak

Dubai – Public cloud spending in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) will increase to $2.8 billion this year as demand increases following the spread of COVID-19. That's according to the latest research update from International Data Corporation (IDC), which expects this figure to top $6.5 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%, up from the 22% rate that was projected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of disruption to the region, it has also shone a light on the critical role that digital transformation (DX) plays in ensuring business continuity," says IDC's Jyoti Lalchandani, group vice president and regional managing director for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. "Indeed, DX-savvy organizations are experiencing the least disruption as they were far better prepared to face the challenges that lay in wait.

"As the situation continues to evolve, more and more enterprises will look to rethink their business continuity strategies, with an eye on stabilizing their critical infrastructure and improving their response to unforeseen events. Online collaboration tools, cloud-based platforms, and secure remote access will all be central to this process, as will improvements in infrastructure resiliency and disaster recovery. As such, we are seeing a positive momentum in cloud appetite, with public cloud so far proving resilient to the COVID-induced slowdowns that have hit other segments of the region's IT market."

IDC will address all these issues and more in a series of dedicated webinars titled 'Sustaining Business Continuity with Digital Resilience' that will take place across the region on the following dates:

• Turkey – June 18

• Levant – July 1

• Middle East – July 8

• Africa – July 23

These exclusive digital events will feature insights from David Reinsel, senior vice president of IDC's global datasphere, as he presents a fascinating keynote on 'The Relationship Between IT Resilience and Business Continuity'. A host of other collaboration pioneers, senior technology executives, and respected industry thought leaders will also be on hand to explore topics such as sustaining customer service in a crisis, avoiding cloud sprawl, ensuring a productive remote workforce, elevating security for digital trust, and harnessing digital workers for operational efficiency.

For more information about these webinars and to learn about our wide range of partnership opportunities, please contact Sheila Manek at smanek@idc.com or on +971 4 446 3154. You can also visit the dedicated event website at www.idc.com/event/businesscontinuity or join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #IDCDigital .