Seacom and Microsoft have confirmed plans to collaborate in Kenya to exploit the potential of cloud computing for businesses in that market.

The companies plan to investigate the high growth prospects of corporate cloud beyond the traditional sphere of storage and towards hosted computing services.

Patrick Ndegwa, Business Sales Lead at Seacom says the aim is to trigger conversation about emerging technology trends and how these could contribute towards secure and affordable connectivity in Kenya.

"Cloud services have improved the way we deliver resources, support new types of users, and create new types of business strategies. Today, organisations are looking at even more ways to leverage cloud computing to help their businesses become much more agile," said Ndegwa.

Carl Martens, Microsoft East Africa Azure Specialist said, "Businesses face increasing pressure to reduce IT spending, improve security, meet new compliance standards, and arm themselves with better big-data tools. Cloud computing is helping them address all of these challenges."

Martens claims that while 95% of the Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft Cloud, there is growing potential for more widespread adoption in Kenya and other parts – adding that according to Microsoft research by 2020, one million new devices will come online every hour, every day and by 2025 sixty percent (60%) of computing is expected to take place in the public cloud.

In 2017 Microsoft announced plans to deliver cloud services from its new data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town beginning in 2018.

Karl Blom, Associate at Law firm Webber Wentzel revealed in an article published by ITWeb this week that he believes the rise in uptake of cloud services on the continent is inextricably linked to a growing need for bandwidth.

"Demand for cloud computing services has increased significantly in Africa, and, as a consequence, an increased need for bandwidth has emerged."