Analysis and Summary of Feasible Marketplace Business Models Covering All Trials

Abstract

This report analyses the market for cloud services of the type that POSTMARK is pioneering including type, scale, readiness and barriers to adoption. The POSTMARK trials are reviewed in terms of the business benefits that the services offer, the validation of these by those involved in the trials, and the further work needed to move from trials to a fully commercial and production setting. Business benefits were wide ranging and included lowering costs, better meeting of deadlines, increase in volume of business, and improved customer service. Response from the trials was positive in all cases. This was echoed by the two public demonstration events hosted by the project in 2012 where the attendees (around 100 in total from the film and post communities) were positive about the services that POSTMARK is offering. The main barriers encountered were security, the need for high levels of availability and trust, the need for complete out-of-the box solutions, and of course concerns over cost. These mirror findings in industry surveys and analyst reports. These barriers are not insurmountable but do require further investment to address. The key question is whether the market as a whole is sufficiently aware of, and ready to adopt, new services of the type developed by POSTMARK.Indications are good, but large scale adoption would be necessary to give sufficient return on the investmentneeded to provide fully operational POSTMARK services on a supported and commercial basis