Table:
| ($ in millions) |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| For the year ended December 31: | 2018 | 2017 | Yr.-to-Yr. Percent Change | Yr.-to-Yr. Percent Change Adjusted for Currency |
| Global Business Services external revenue | $16,595* | $16,073* | 3.2% | 2.3% |
| Consulting | $7,705 | $7,262 | 6.1% | 5.1% |
| Application Management | 7,852 | 7,821 | 0.4 | (0.5) |
| Global Process Services | 1,037* | 990* | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Paragraphs:
Global Business Services
* Recast to reflect segment changes.
Global Business Services revenue increased compared to 2017 driven by strong growth in Consulting, led by key offerings in digital Global Business Services revenue increased compared to 2017 driven by strong growth in Consulting, led by key offerings in digital and cloud application, where the business has brought together technology and industry expertise to help clients on their digital journey. GPS grew year to year, while Application Management revenue was flat as reported and declined adjusted for currency compared to 2017.
While we continued to help clients move to the cloud with offerings such as Cloud Migration Factory and cloud application development, there were continued declines in the more traditional application management engagements. Within GBS, cloud revenue of $4.7 billion grew 20 percent as reported and 19 percent adjusted for currency compared to the prior year.
Question:
What caused the increase in Global Business Services revenue?
Answer: driven by strong growth in Consulting, led by key offerings in digital Global Business Services revenue increased compared to 2017 driven by strong growth in Consulting, led by key offerings in digital and cloud application, where the business has brought together technology and industry expertise to help clients on their digital journey