Nearly two thirds of enterprises (65%) are now using cloud technology, services and solutions as part of their IT infrastructure, according to Verizon Enterprise Solutions.
A report commissioned by the operator and conducted by 451 Research shows that IT, specifically the CIO/CTO, controls more than 80% of total cloud spend within the organization. The CIO/CTO personally oversees more than half (62%) of cloud purchases.
"When it comes to enterprise IT and cloud computing, the discussion has decidedly shifted from 'if' to 'how' and 'what,'" said Siki Giunta, senior vice president of cloud services for Verizon Enterprise Solutions.
"Customers are now coming to us with more detailed, stringent requirements and questions about where and how to use cloud to transform their businesses and mission-critical workloads, instead of whether or not to use it."
Enterprise cloud spend has grown 38% in the last year, the report finds. Some 71% of Verizon cloud customers are using cloud for mission-critical applications, up from 60% in 2013.
Around 84% of cloud adopters ranked uptime as the most important factor in selecting a cloud service, while only 14% of enterprises cited cost reduction as the main motive in moving to the cloud.
According to the report, enterprise cloud has evolved from an experimental platform to one that carries mission-critical workloads. It is simultaneously redefining and strengthening the role of centralized IT and driving a corresponding change in what enterprises expect from their cloud services provider.