Cloud services
As cloud computing adds complexity into the IT environment, there will be more demand for solution provider expertise to manage it.
84% of companies said their cloud use increased in the last year. About half expect they will be using the cloud for 75% of their workloads by 2018.
27% are using a private cloud, while 24% are using a public cloud. Another 17% plan to implement private cloud, 13% will adopt public clouds, and 27% and 28%, respectively, are evaluating private and public clouds.
54% use two to four cloud providers. Half (50%) use a “mix of public cloud, private cloud and traditional IT resources,” and 48% can easily move workloads between clouds.
56% reported using the cloud for many mission-critical workloads, while another 31% said they have at least one. A full 88% say the primary reason to move mission-critical workloads into the cloud is to improve responsiveness to the business.
The availability of the cloud environment is much higher than it is on-premise for 33%, while 27% said it’s a little more. Only 20% said security is much higher in cloud vs. on-premise environments for only, while 20% said it’s a bit higher.
69% said the cloud has enabled them to significantly re-engineer a business process. A full 77% said the cloud provides them with a competitive advantage. But only 16% say it’s a significant advantage.
37% said the cloud enabled them to adapt their business models. Another 19% are working on it and 25% see potential. Beyond potential cost savings, 40% said the cloud has increased revenue, while 36% said cloud computing has increased profit margins.
68% are investing in cloud/SaaS apps to reach a business goal; 55% said they need to invest in the alignment of business and IT strategy to meet priorities; and 83% see IT as an opportunity to differentiate, disrupt and gain share.