Report: Half of humanity will have cloud access by 2015

In a recent study that may have ramifications for businesses of all kinds, research firm Ovum predicted that more than half of the planet's population will have access to cloud services by 2015.

According to the study, approximately 3.6 billion people will be able to access the internet through a broadband connection by 2015, giving them access to cloud services that can be used for a growing variety of business and personal purposes.

Mobile broadband is predicted to grow rapidly, according to the study. By 2015, approximately 1 billion people will access the internet only through mobile connections, the study predicts. Approximately 1.4 billion users are expected to access the internet through both mobile and fixed connections.

The study's findings may indicate cloud services are likely to dominate software offerings in the years to come.

Michael Philpot, an analyst for Ovum, said the study indicates broadband internet access "is now as important as other essential utilities, such as gas, water and electricity."

The ubiquity of reliable broadband internet connections are leading enterprises to shift a growing proportion of applications and data to the cloud. According to a recent Computerworld report, cloud services will become a central storage method for many companies.