Cloud Computing 2011

The specific IT capabilities adopted suggest an ongoing level of virtualisation and certain cloud services becoming part of the 'business as usual' state.

In January 2011 The Corporate IT Forum conducted a Reality Checker survey to understand the challenges businesses are experiencing with Cloud Computing.  48 respondents from over 30 organisations answered questions on areas of IT that they have moved into the Cloud.  The responses also provide a view on the benefits realised and barriers to adoption.  Contributing organisations represent an annual IT spend in excess of £9 billion and employ over 930,000 people.  The headline findings include:

• Cloud becoming more common: The specific IT capabilities adopted suggest an ongoing level of virtualisation and certain cloud services becoming part of the 'business as usual' state.
• Private Clouds are favoured: Members perceive private clouds as an opportunity to free up both computing time and energy to allow the business to run smoothly and efficiently.
• A chance to reform: [The cloud provides] a unique opportunity to devise and implement new policies and processes, use built-for-purpose solutions and access specialist external skills.
• Virtualisation and Storage remain key cloud areas: Platform / server virtualisation continues to be the most implemented capability with the majority now sitting firmly in the 'fully implemented arena'. Storage has experienced a 50% increase in the number of organisations having it 'fully implemented'.
• Business as Usual? Whilst Cloud-based operational and business application services are becoming part of business as usual other areas remain in development and trial.
• Businesses realise reduction in costs: Overall cost reduction continues to head the list of anticipated benefits, but has now decreased by 20%. This change may be linked to a double in the number of organisations that have realised benefits here
• Security remains the highest barrier and this trend is increasing: By a clear margin 'data / information security / protection' is still cited as the biggest potential barrier to adoption at 81.8%, an increase from 76.5% last year.