The business case for public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions is often based on expectations for capital and operational cost savings paired with increased business agility and application performance. The ability to achieve the expected outcomes depends heavily on the choices that customers and service providers make about products and processes for physical and virtual systems management, automation, and control as well as on the strategies used to implement and finance the associated infrastructure. Customers, software vendors, service providers, and investors look to IDC's IT Cloud Decision Economics service to provide the expert insight and market intelligence needed to make important public and private IT cloud computing management and governance decisions.

• Public and private cloud systems management software revenue forecasts
• Customer functional priorities and timelines for investing in cloud systems management software solutions
• Major vendor cloud systems management strategies
• Cloud systems management software vendor market shares
• Enterprise tactics and strategies for optimizing public, private, and hybrid cloud systems management and business value
• Cloud systems management software and SaaS innovators and strategies to disrupt the status quo

• Worldwide Cloud Systems Management Software Forecast and Trends
• Worldwide Cloud Systems Management Software Vendor Strategies and Market Shares
• Cloud System Management Customer Priority Surveys and Use Cases
• Cloud Systems Management Start-ups and Innovators

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

1. What public and private cloud systems management functional capabilities will be most widely implemented in 2012–2017?
2. How are major vendors and start-ups addressing the cloud systems management software market?
3. What are the latest forecasts and market shares for worldwide cloud systems management software solutions?
4. What are the most important choices and trade-offs IT and business decision makers need to consider with regard to developing governance, business case, and management strategies for their cloud environments?
5. What types of best practices and decision frameworks are emerging to help enterprise decision makers optimize cloud operations and architectures?

This service is designed to assist IT buyers and decision makers as well as system management software, cloud solution vendors, and service providers that support them. Cloud represents a major shift in the way IT solutions and software are developed, deployed, and operated. Buyers need up-to-date insight into best practices, vendor capabilities, and lessons being learned by early adopters. Vendors and service providers need current insight into the market opportunity, decision drivers, business case models, and competitor activities.

Designed for business, IT, and financial executives seeking input on emerging best practices, vendor strategies, and market opportunities, this research program serves the needs of a wide range of IT buyers, vendors, and service providers.

For IT suppliers or IT buyers doing business planning and budgeting, sales and marketing, or performance measurement, we have the custom offerings to optimize your success at every stage of your business. Our data- and content-driven approach helps you make better decisions, drive more effective marketing programs, and effectively measure your success - resulting in a greater return on your investment.

Whether you are a technology buyer or provider, IDC Insights' research translates today's global end-user requirements and trends into business opportunities for your organization. With dedicated businesses targeting energy, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, IDC provides unmatched integration of global technology and vertical industry expertise to deliver industry-specific customer intelligence that gives clients a powerful business advantage.

Connect and engage with a global network of business and IT professionals in the first-of-its-kind end-user community at http://idc-insights-community.com.