Cloud technology supports a vast number of usages. The most common one being consumer services like Gmail or the cloud back-up of the photos on your smartphone. Large enterprises may host their data and run their applications in the cloud.
Software vendors are increasingly offering their programmes as cloud versions by subscription rather than selling one-off licences. The variety of applications delivered via cloud technology is huge, from CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERM (Enterprise Resource Management) through to Microsoft’s Office 365. The end user will access the application via a web browser or app.
Cloud computing also allows the use of AI to conduct audience analytics, which benefits the retail industry tremendously. Through sensors installed in the shopping mall, such AI solution can perform, via cloud computing, real-time shopper analysis. Shopper headcount, attention span and demographics such as gender, age, emotion, etc. are gathered and analysed. The big data collected will be very useful for retailers to improve their in-store marketing and operation effectiveness.