Cloud computing has been positioned as today's ideal IT platform. However, this has been said before of other IT architectures. How is cloud different? This book looks at what cloud promises now, and how cloud is likely to evolve as the future unfolds. Readers will be better able to ensure that decisions made now will hold them in good stead for the future and will gain a better understanding of how cloud can deliver the best outcome for their organisations. Cloud has quickly become a prevalent and ubiquitous term in both the IT and business sectors, delivering affordable computing power to the masses and disrupting many companies and industry sectors. We are now experiencing velocity and acceleration of technology, with a breadth of it being empowered by cloud under the covers. The internet of things (IoT), mobile apps and Big Data, for example, are inherently cloud driven.