Microsoft: Future of business communications in the clouds

Speaking a recent energy conference, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer declared that cloud computing is the future for business communications. According to Ballmer, the cloud enables companies to interact and collaborate in a virtual environment without the need for physical interaction.

While the market for the managed IT service has many providers and application developers, Ballmer stressed that his company will continue to work on the technology and offer advancements.

Ballmer relayed that further adoption of the cloud depends on improved security and reliability, which many companies currently identify as the weak point in the technology. However, service providers have started to increase their efforts in these areas to make their products more attractive to potential customers.

Supporting Ballmer's claims, a Cisco executive recently spoke to an audience at the Cloud Connect Conference and Expo held in Santa Clara, California, and declared a world of clouds is on the horizon. With private, public and hybrid solutions being released, the Cisco executive predicts many companies will shift into the cloud during the next several years.