Innovations in technology are driving the building and development industry as firms are beginning to move their construction reporting and collaboration tools to the cloud.

The cloud give firms the ability to save money
There is no doubt that cloud use continues to grow because the online storage system allows for cost savings. In fact, recent research conducted by KPMG found nearly 60 percent of cloud providers believe that companies are moving to the cloud due to its ability to help the firm save money. 

"While providers are seeing the challenges of a maturing, yet still relatively young, market, we’re at a pivotal point in the evolution of the cloud ecosystem as users become more comfortable with a variety of cloud applications," said Gary Matuszak, partner, global chair and U.S. leader for KPMG’s technology, media and telecommunications practice.

Businesses interested in different cloud deployments
A migration to the cloud for construction firms doesn't necessarily mean moving to a public or hybrid cloud environment. The KPMG research revealed roughly two-third of cloud providers said their most popular offering is Software as a Service, while Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service are expected to be used more in the upcoming years.

"The anticipated migration of core systems and critical infrastructure to cloud in the next two years will be complex undertakings; users will be requiring if not demanding strategic direction and guidance from providers across a broad range of areas," said Tom Lamoureux, global advisory leader at the KPMG technology sector.

Cloud use must be a good fit for the company
While the cloud presents several benefits for many construction firms, it must be a good fit for businesses to continue on with deployments.

Some solutions could be a greater aid to smaller construction firms who can't afford costly data centers or IT resources, and could save money by hosting their infrastructure off-premise. Another benefit provided by the cloud is the improved communication and collaboration experienced by the entire company with cloud-based mobile solutions.