I have stumbled on an insightful report from Harvard Business Review on cloud computing. It is a survey on 1,500 global business and technology leaders about their views on cloud computing for business.
The majority think that cloud computing brings them business value and competitive advantage
The cloud computing report, released by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services and sponsored by Microsoft, reveals that 85 percent of respondents are planning to use cloud-based tools moderately to extensively over the next three years. Furthermore, 26 percent decision makers said that their companies are enthusihttp://www.cloudbusinessreview.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpastic toward what the cloud can offer them. Those findings are mainly driven by the ability of cloud computing to make their businesses adapt and respond better to changes while reducing overall business costs; adopting the cloud, businesses are becoming more agile, operating in lower overheads, and being encouraged in business growth, innovation and collaboration.
As a “living testament,” look no further than the pioneers in cloud computing adoption: 7 percent of early cloud adopters who have been using cloud computing for more than five years mentioned that the cloud technology has helped them in achieving faster time to market, encouraging effectiveness, lower costs and improve their ability to acquire and integrate new operations. 57 percent of respondents also believe that those early adopters will enjoy great competitive advantages, especially with the more accessible cloud technologies today.
Cloud computing doubts…
How about the rest?
The rest of respondents are taking more cautious steps because they are willing to wait for the fog to be cleared and wait for more evidence of cloud computing benefits. 57 percent of respondents said that they are using limited or no cloud services today, while 36 percent said that their company is cautious or resistant toward cloud computing.
They said that they have yet to fully understand the benefits and risks of cloud computing, and they concerned about the cloud security, cloud outage and cloud lock-in issues. As cloud businesses solve cloud issues better, business and technology leaders will probably more convinced to adopt the cloud.
Cloud computing consensus
Regardless the pros and cons of cloud computing, it’s a widely-accepted fact that cloud computing can offer better ways for businesses to solve business issues, despite the cloud’s shortcomings.
You can download the Harvard Business Review white paper here: How the Cloud Looks from the Top: Achieving Competitive Advantage In the Age of Cloud Computing
So, what’s your view about cloud computing? Is it a legitimate business problem solver? Can it really increase productivity and reduce costs? Please share your opinions by commenting on this article.
