Personal Cloud Services Will Allow Consumers’ toStore,Synch,Streamand Share Content Seamlessly, Regardless ofDeviceorPlatform by2013

Technology research and advisory firm, Gartner, Inc., has reported that by the end of 2013, consumer cloud services for accessing content will be integrated into 90 percent of all connected consumer devices.

Speaking at a briefing for technology industry executives in Singapore today, Gartner Managing VP Andrew Johnson said, “Emergence of personal clouds reflects the ‘4S experience’, consumers’ desire to store, synch, stream, and share their content, regardless of device or platform, seamlessly.”

“The shift to the personal cloud will accelerate rapidly in 2012 as consumers learn how to use new services on their devices. As cloud services become part of people’s lives, device vendors and platform providers must integrate cloud services in order to win customers in 2012 or risk being displaced by those that offer these services. Brands must stretch across multiple devices, platforms and services,” added Andrew.

Consumers have begun to adopt cloud-based services as part of their digital ecosystem, thanks to services such as Netflix, Google Apps, Amazon Music, Microsoft SkyDrive and Apple's iCloud. In a personal cloud, a TV show, for example, can be watched, left and resumed across multiple devices such as smartphones, media tablets, televisions and PCs.

“The notion of personal cloud is not new, the refinement and diversity of services for consumers is. Online backup and synchronization companies have been offering personal cloud for years. However, a big change has occurred during the past couple of years, with the growing adoption of mobile and portable devices that have limited internal storage and rely heavily on cloud services. What distinguishes the personal cloud from what came before is its ability to store, synchronize, stream and share as needed allowing a consumer greater flexibility in choosing devices and platforms,” reiterated Andrew.

Gartner estimates that consumers will spend approximately USD 2.2 trillion on digital technology products and services in 2012, or about 10% of the average disposable household income. By 2015, consumers will spend close to USD 2.8 trillion worldwide on connected devices, the services that run them and content that is transferred through them.