News

Survey: Cloud Benefits Not Clearly Defined

A recent survey shows that one of the greatest challenges facing the adoption of cloud computing is that the industry isn't selling it very well.

Integration platform company Hubspan conducted the survey, which found that 59 percent of companies see the cloud as a strategic direction. Twenty percent said they had no interest in the cloud, while 21 percent remain undecided. At the department level, 64 percent are developing plans for the cloud, and a quarter aren't.

Those figures reflect similar findings from other cloud computing surveys. What's striking is that among those companies not planning a cloud move, about 36 percent cite not understanding cloud benefits as the main reason. And even though security is often listed as a primary fear of moving to cloud computing, the Hubspan survey shows that that reservation may be overblown; only 5 percent listed security as a concern. In fact, security is down in fifth place, behind not understanding the benefits; "We Have Our Own Way Of Doing Things"; "No Budget"; and "Takes Too Much Time and Resources."

The blog entry accompanying the survey says the problem could actually be too much data, rather than too little: "Perhaps this is a case of information overlead, as there is so much being said about the cloud that it's sometimes hard to break through the noise."

So how do cloud providers position their wares? The blog has a suggestion: "The greatest benefit still must be that the solution solves a business challenge. As an industry, we obviously need to do more to clearly explain the why and when the cloud makes sense for a business."

About the Author

Keith Ward is the editor in chief of Virtualization & Cloud Review. Follow him on Twitter @VirtReviewKeith.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.