Cloud Computing Is Taking Off Faster Than Ever
Thanks to the pandemic and the boom of remote work, the cloud has become the new hero of 2020. StockApps has dug into the numbers and found that the global public‑cloud market is expected to grow by 6.3% this year, moving from a 2019 value of $242.7 billion up to $257.9 billion in 2020.
Future Forecasts (2021‑2022)
- 2021: $306.9 billion
- 2022: $364.1 billion
Enterprises are sprinting toward remote‑friendly solutions, and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is leading the charge.
DaaS: The Fastest Growing Segment
- 2020: $1.2 billion (+95.4% year‑over‑year)
- 2021: $1.95 billion
- 2022: $2.5 billion
Why is DaaS a hot ticket? It’s cheap, secure, and lets folks tap into corporate apps from basically anywhere—be it a coffee shop, a beach, or the office desk that’s no longer a desk.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS stays roof‑top level, growing to $104.7 billion in 2020 (baby step from $120.1 billion in 2019).
Future SaaS Growth
- 2021: $120.99 billion
- 2022: $140.6 billion
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Next in line, IaaS is projected to hit $50.4 billion in 2020, up 13.4% from $44.5 billion in 2019.
Future IaaS Growth
- 2021: $64.3 billion
- 2022: $80.98 billion
In short, the cloud isn’t slowing down for a moment—just keep an eye on DaaS, SaaS, and IaaS as they flex and grow during the pandemic’s tail‑wind.
Top Four Cloud Service Providers Grew a Collective 40% in Q3 2020
Cloud Wars 2020: The Big Boom in the Q3 Quarter
Picture this: the global cloud market was on a rocket‑ship in Q3 2020, leaping 33% up to a whopping $36.5 billion. $9 billion more compared to last year’s third quarter, and a tidy $2 billion higher than Q2 2020. In short, the sky’s not the limit—it’s the only limit!
Big Four Power Play
Those who lead the pack—AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Alibaba—drove a massive 40% jump together. Their collective swagger made them the talk of the cloud towns.
AWS: Still On Top but Needed a Beat in the Scoreboard
- Hold the crown: 32% share of total cloud spend.
- From 31% in Q2 ‘20 to 33% in Q3 ’19—so a tiny dip but a hefty upside overall.
- Revenue: $11.60 billion, beating the next three chasers combined.
- YoY growth: +29% for revenue, +56% for operating income.
- Operating income: $3.54 billion—about 57% of Amazon’s total earnings.
Microsoft Azure: Outpacing the Competition
- Market share: slid from 20% in Q2 to 19% in Q3, but still the steadfast runner‑up.
- Azure’s sales jumped 48% YoY—talk about a quick sprint.
- Commercial cloud revenue: $15.2 billion, up 31% YoY.
- Intelligent cloud: $13 billion, +20% YoY.
- Commercial Office + cloud: +9% growth.
- At the time, Microsoft’s cloud revenue was inching toward an annual run‑rate nudging $61 billion.
Google Cloud & Alibaba Cloud: The Underdogs Making Noise
While their numbers weren’t highlighted, these two played‑makers added to the 40% surge across the top four, proving that even the less‑favored players can shake things up.
In a nutshell, Q3 2020 saw the cloud market not just grow, but sprint—backed by the beating hearts of the big four. If you thought the cloud was just a buzzword, this quarter proved it’s a full-on roller‑coaster for those riding the digital waves.
Alibaba Cloud Accounts for 6% Market Share Globally, 40% in China
Google Cloud’s Meteoric Rise
Third‑Place Glory
- Market share jumps to 7% in Q3 2020 – that’s a tidy 1‑point lift from the same quarter in 2019 and a 2‑point boost on the 6% from Q2 2020.
- Revenue shooting up by 44.7% YoY: from $2.379 bn in Q2 to a sweet $3.4 bn in Q3.
Alphabet’s Game‑Changing Move
During the earnings call, Alphabet confirmed that starting Q4 2020 it would list Google Cloud as its own separate segment. Suddenly, investors can peek back to 2018 results and finally see how much of that growth is actually profitable.
Alibaba & The Chinese Cloud League
Global Ranking
- Alibaba Cloud lands in the fourth spot worldwide, with a 6% share – up from 5% in Q3 2019 and Q2 2020.
Domination in APAC
- Israel‑as‑IaaS stunner: 40.1% share in Q2 2020 for Alibaba Cloud.
- Hung with 15.5% for Huawei Cloud and 15.1% for Tencent Cloud.
China—The Second Largest Cloud Market
By Q2 2020, China accounted for a whopping 12.4% of all global cloud investment, proving that the cloud isn’t just about fluffy up‑and‑down clouds—it’s about data mining, gigabytes, and growing ecosystems.
Want the Latest Cloud Scoop?
Get real‑time updates on this category directly on your device. Subscribe now!
