Although the majority of firms that have moved to the cloud (97pc) cite increased efficiency, a significant majority (83pc) also cite the need for more clarity around information security.
According to a survey of IT and business decision makers, the key drivers for moving to the cloud are: to reduce costs (75pc), to increase IT efficiency and resources (73pc), to increase flexibility (54pc) and to have the agility to deliver new services (50pc).
Other key considerations which also rated highly included: service guarantees (65pc), the reputation of the provider (63pc), communications network infrastructure (62pc), scalability (56pc), network diversity (50pc) and storage (38pc).
Currently, amongst those surveyed, 60pc have already implemented some cloud services. Of the 40pc who have not yet moved to the cloud, 57pc said they were undecided and 33pc said they had immediate plans to do so.
Lack of clarity around cloud security
Peter Hendrick, technical director, AirSpeed Telecom, says the survey throws up some interesting results. “This survey shows that if implemented correctly, cloud computing has the potential to help companies become more efficient and reduce costs, ultimately improving their competitiveness. It’s clear that, a way to go, is educating organisations on the cloud.
“There appears to remain a lack of clarity around security and the cloud computing market may see stronger growth if companies can get a clearer idea of how IT security is protected when they move their systems. Equally, more real-world case studies illustrating implementations of cloud will help everyone – service providers and customers alike – get a clearer sense of the benefits to be achieved.
AirSpeed Telecom recently invested €1.6m in the development of a cloud-ready network for Irish businesses.
As part of this investment, the company has devised two new innovative products – AirSpeed Cloud Connect and AirSpeed Resilient Circuit – which have been designed specifically for companies looking to move services to the cloud.
