SEOUL-- December 02, 2021 -- Surging demand for effective cloud storage options within small & medium and large enterprises across the globe is propelling the sales of the personal cloud, opines Fact.MR in its latest personal cloud market study.

As demand for personal cloud continues to rise, especially in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China, global sales of the personal cloud will grow at a prolific 40% CAGR through 2031.

The growing demand for file storage and data sharing in various organizations in China is boosting the adoption of personal cloud services. As per Fact.MR, the China personal cloud market is expected to top US$ 35 Bn by 2031.

Availability of high speed broadband networks and rapid adoption of advanced intelligent solutions to streamline operations at private workplaces are the key factors driving sales of personal cloud in China. A similar trend is observed in countries such as Japan and South Korea, creating a conducive environment for personal cloud market growth.

In response to the growing demand for the personal cloud in China, competition among cloud service providers is expected to soar in the forthcoming years. For instance, in March 2021, Alibaba Cloud, owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, launched its first personal cloud product called Alibaba Cloud Drive.

With this launch, Alibaba has entered the personal cloud market, challenging established players like Tencent Holdings and Baidu in China. The service offers up to 2 terabytes of free storage and ‘unlimited’ uploading and downloading speed, depending on the internet provider.

Tech giants in China are following the suit to capitalize on the growing demand for secure and effective personal cloud services. In October 2021, Huawei Technologies Co. Limited launched Huawei Cloud, and the company aims to become Asia’s top cloud service provider in the next three years.

Besides this, global cloud service provider Microsoft is planning to bring a new Azure Region to north China in 2022 via its local operating partner, 21Vianet. This expansion is expected to double the capacity of Microsoft's cloud portfolio in China, which includes Azure, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Office 365, and Power Platform operated by 21Vianet.

“Subscription models offered by cloud service providers catering to the growing demand for file storage in smartphones, tablets, and personal computers are propelling sales of personal cloud. In addition to this, the growing uptake of personal cloud among entrepreneurs and small business owners will continue fuelling the growth of the market in the forthcoming years," says a Fact.MR analyst.

Growing Popularity of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to Push Personal Cloud Sales in Japan

Increasing adoption of the BYOD trend at workplaces and universities in Japan is spurring demand for effective cloud storage solutions. Individuals are bringing their personal laptops and other devices such as tablets for added comfort and convenience. This trend is expected to boost demand for personal cloud services in Japan.

The BYOD trend is not only prevalent at workplaces, but it has reached universities and schools in efforts to integrate technology and learning. For instance, the Nagoya International School in Japan has implemented BYOD to improve learning by leveraging technology.

With teachers' approval, students can bring their own devices to the classroom to enhance lessons through the access to digital textbooks, supplemental material, and additional learning content. This trend gained traction due to the lockdown restrictions imposed to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

BYOD trend is expected to continue in the upcoming years. Cloud service providers are also tapping into existing opportunities in Japan and South Korea by launching BYOD services.

For instance, in 2018, Panasonic Information Systems launched a BYOD program using the application delivery solution, Cloudpaging developed by Numecent.

Cloudpaging is a solution that enables applications to be delivered from the cloud using Numecent’s proprietary technology that packages Windows applications. Such developments are expected to bode well for the personal cloud market in Japan over the forthcoming years.

Some of the leading players profiled by Fact.MR operating in personal cloud market include:

· Amazon Web Services Inc.
· Apple Inc.
· Box Inc.
· Microsoft Corporation
· Dropbox Inc.
· Google
· Mozy Inc.
· SpiderOak
· Seagate
· Egnyte Inc.
· Sugarsync
· ElephantDrive
· Western Digital
· D-Link Corporation
· Buffalo Technology
· ASUS Cloud
· Ubuntu One