Companies in this industry provide application hosting and data storage services, data processing, time-sharing computing services, and related infrastructure and network services. Major companies include Amazon Web Services, Google (through Google Cloud Platform), IBM, Microsoft (through Microsoft Azure) and Oracle (all US-based), along with Alibaba Cloud (China).
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Companies with the access to capital for new equipment and the ability to maintain large networks of data centers enjoy significant advantages. A highly skilled workforce is required to ensure data center uptime and access to data. Some companies may focus on a single category of services, such as managed website hosting, while others may offer a broad range of services to compete effectively in the market.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Business process management services account for more than 20% of the industry's revenue, followed by application service provisioning (about 20%) and web site hosting services (less than 20%). Data hosting companies may also offer colocation services, data storage, media storage and delivery services, and other technology support services.