IDC's Service Provider Infrastructure for the Cloud service examines the changing competitive landscape in the hosting and cloud services market with the emergence of cloud and hybrid models forcing changes in service providers' IT architectures. This still-evolving hybrid hosting/cloud market represents a substantial opportunity for both service providers and infrastructure vendors as the entire space enters into a new business cycle. Traditional service providers are crafting new business models to position themselves against the newer "cloud native" infrastructure providers. For both, the service delivery infrastructure and architectures deployed must keep pace. This program will specifically focus on the changes in store for datacenters and systems and platform infrastructure in the service provider market.

• Datacenters, systems and platform infrastructure, and service delivery architectures
• Hybrid service providers versus cloud-native infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
• Infrastructure/architecture foundation
• Service provider infrastructure technology
• The role of infrastructure/technology vendors in service operations and delivery
• The role of service provider partnerships in cloud service delivery

• Worldwide Hosting/Cloud Service Provider Infrastructure Forecast
• Worldwide Sizing and Forecast for Servers and Storage (Units and Revenue) for Service Providers
• Service Provider Case Studies
• Journey to the Cloud: Understanding Next-Generation Service Provider Infrastructure

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 are the major opportunities and challenges facing service providers as their delivery models shift to cloud?
2. How are service providers changing their server, storage, and platform infrastructure in response to the cloud opportunity?
3. What are the architecture and purchasing decisions being made by leading service providers?
4. What will service providers need from technology vendors as they build out their next-generation infrastructure?
5. How will service providers and technology vendors work together to capitalize on cloud service opportunities?

This service reviews strategies, market positioning, and future direction of several players in the service provider infrastructure market, including Amazon, AT&T, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, EMC, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Parallels, SAVVIS-CenturyLink, SoftLayer, Verizon-Terremark, and VMware.

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