Cloud Computing’s Nuances: Taking a Close Look

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Cloud migration

Sizing up the cloud maturity of a potential customer can be challenging. A CompTIA study provides insight into the cloud market’s maturity.

More than 90% of companies are using some form of cloud computing. Yet only 33% say they are in full production while 8% say they have completely transformed their IT architectures. Another 38% say they are using the cloud for non-critical systems while 21% say they are still experimenting.

Not surprisingly, email (51%), followed by Web presence (46%) and business productivity (45%) top the list of application use cases for the cloud.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) are using SaaS applications. Another 42% are using infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) while 33% are using some form of a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) environment.

Nearly half (46%) say they have embraced private clouds only. Another 28% are using public clouds while 26% say they are using hybrid clouds.

Most respondents have been using cloud solutions between one and five years. Half have been using the cloud for one to three years; 21% have been using the cloud for three to five years; 6% say they have been using cloud solutions for more than five years; and 23% say they have been using the cloud for less than a year.

Larger organizations most often cited an ability to reduce costs as the biggest driver (47%). Smaller organization most often said the cloud was simply a better option (42%).

IT leaders estimate that business units funded the acquisition of technology from 26% to 54% of the time. While the IT department typically purchases apps used across the company, including virtual desktops and email, line-of-business professionals would be more apt to procure apps that a single department might use.

Better offerings/features (37%), security concerns (35%), cost (27%) and open standards (26%) were cited as the primary reason to make a move from one cloud to another. Nearly half (46%) said making the move to a secondary cloud was more difficult than moving to the first cloud.

Moves back to on-premise systems are primarily driven by security (58%), failure to achieve cost goals (30%), failure to integrate (24%) and dissatisfaction with reliability (22%).

Integration specialists (66%) and IT pros with an ability to build private clouds (63%) are the most sought after, followed closely by department liaisons (61%) and cloud architects (58%).