The evolution of IT towards cloud computing in China and U.S.

IT industry is both fundamental and strategic to a country´s economy, and it will continue to play a critical role in industry upgrade and economic development in the foreseeable future. The future of IT industry lies in cloud computing. In recent years, many countries in the world respond enthusiastically to cloud computing. The U.S., Japan and European countries have created strategies to develop cloud computing, aiming to become the leader in the new era. The Chinese government also sees cloud computing as a historic opportunity to rebuild competitive advantages and leapfrog western countries. Against this backdrop, this article compares and contrasts the evolution of IT towards cloud computing between China and western countries especially the U.S. Due to differences in cultures, development stages of IT industries, roles of governments as well as IT companies, we believe future cloud computing ecosystems will be very different between China and the U.S. Fully understanding these differences will greatly help governments as well as companies identify right strategic investments.