Whether it's IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service - Application Development) or SaaS (Software as a Service - application), public cloud, and to a lesser degree, hybrid cloud, enables executives to focus on the growth of the company rather than on managing their data center.
Incidentally, research shows organizations plan to invest 33% of their IT budget in Cloud Computing, even though they may have some reservations.
IT leaders therefore find themselves faced with an indecision between the universally recognized benefits of cloud computing and the associated risks that slow down adoption.
The advantages and major gains of cloud computing are:
• Reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Improve the agility and the ability to rapidly deploy technologies
• Improve the user experience
• Reduce complexity
• Reduce the time spent on IT maintenance and troubleshooting
Risks and barriers to the adoption of cloud computing
The factors slowing down the adoption of technology in the cloud that are most commonly mentioned are:• Data security
√ Concerns about data security in the cloud are cited by 74% of respondents in a study conducted by Skyhigh Networks.
√ Data security is a complex obstacle, because it takes many forms.
• Regulatory aspects and compliance
√ Is the data processed, transferred and stored according to the company’s regulations in order to maintain compliancy?
√ Is there a risk in breaching data confidentiality?
• The fear of contract restrictions
√ How will the recovery of all data be performed in the case of a cloud service provider change?
√ Does the supplier have lock-in contracts that make exiting them difficult?
√ The increase in cost of services is also a source of concern.
Portability, interoperability and reversibility of services are indispensable elements to be validated before deciding on a service provider.
• Reliability
√ Will the cloud services permit an optimal availability?
√ Can suppliers meet your SLA (Service Level Agreement)?
√ Is your Internet connection sufficiently reliable and efficient to allow you to access cloud services at all times?
• Performance
√ Does the cloud services permit achieving a level of performance that is consistent with your requirements?
√ Is the allocation of resources sufficient to meet the peaks of activity?
All of these factors ultimately boil down to the level of confidence in the solutions and the cloud computing services providers. In this context, how do you balance benefits and concerns?
Conclusion
Essentially it is to find the balance between the value of the service(s) and the real or perceived risks.
• Use a method for assessing the value, risks and your readiness in order evaluate your state as one of the following:
√ Ready for the Cloud;
√ Proceed with caution;
√ Do not migrate to the cloud;
• Start with applications having the greatest maturity in terms of online functionality (email, web sites, CRM) and have the lowest risks.
• Identify the level of customization required for each application, because as is known more customization means additional costs, implementation time and more migration restrictions.
• Enlist the help from professionals in cloud planning and migration.
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