Cloud computing - overcoming the inhibitors

In the past year, the uptake of cloud computing services have moved from the limited pilot stage to larger scale implementation. As a recent survey of CIOs undertaken by PA Consulting Group (PA) and Harvey Nash revealed 11% of those surveyed in the UK are already using publicly hosted cloud services to support core business activities, and 34% are planning or running pilots to use publicly hosted services.  

No doubt the marketing efforts of the big suppliers have raised awareness of cloud services among the wider business community, but marketing alone is not enough to explain the fact that more organisations are now using cloud services. Cloud services are here to stay because by enabling cheaper, scalable, anytime, anywhere IT, they can deliver real business benefits such as increased sales, faster time to market, or flexibility to respond to demand. 

NCC guidelines 'Cloud computing – overcoming the key inhibitors'

It is still early days for cloud adoption, and both the cloud service providers and customers are still learning. Therefore, it is important for organisations to consider the inhibitors to adopting cloud, the challenges and how they can be overcome.

The NCC Guidelines 'Cloud computing – overcoming the key inhibitors', authored by PA cloud expert Alastair McAulay, clearly articulates the steps organisations need to take to overcome the inhibitors.

Request a copy of the NCC Cloud computing Guidelines

The Guidelines highlight the key barriers organisations face in adopting cloud computing services and propose ways of managing them. As there are many interdependent business, operational and technical dimensions to these inhibitors, the Guidelines also provide a framework for considering them to guide your journey to cloud implementation. These proposals are backed up by examples from organisations that have been at the sharp end of implementing cloud services across:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), providing raw processing power and storage

• Platform as a Service (PaaS), providing a generic software capability on which one or more customer applications can be built

• Software as a Service (SaaS), delivering complete turn key applications that are ready to go.

Cloud services are capable of delivering significant benefits to an organisation. But for anything other than a start-up with a completely greenfield requirement, moving to the cloud also requires careful planning, analysis and business justification. Different skills and attitudes are also required in IT to successfully manage a cloud service.

Through careful planning and analysis most organisations should be able to benefit from adopting cloud services which offer new capabilities at reduced cost and with minimum risk to the business

To speak to a PA cloud expert about how your organisation can get the best results from cloud computing, please contact us now.