As companies are about to start the year afresh with new hopes and targets for their cloud projects, Asia Cloud Forum asked the major cloud service providers and enablers about what they believed to be the biggest misconceptions about cloud computing in 2012.
The following highlights six of them, which concern misconceptions from conception, cost-benefit analysis, solutions design to application. With these we hope our readers will continue to reap real benefits from cloud adoption.
1. "Software-defined" is "cloud"?
"I predicted that some of the laggards will likely seek ways to leverage cloud methodologies that improve IT efficiency. I also predicted some will fall prey to cloud washing by purchasing traditional IT infrastructure named 'cloud' in an attempt to satisfy their 'cloud-envy,'" said Nicos Vekiarides, CEO of TwinStrata. "Verdict? Watch for cloud poseurs abusing a new buzzword: 'software-defined,'" he predicted.
2. Cost is the ultimate benefit of cloud adoption
Cost, although a key benefit, is not the only benefit for cloud services. Cloud computing brings other important benefits including agility, scalability and fast provisioning. "The multiple benefits of cloud services help enterprises meet their objectives for mobility, cost effectiveness and business continuity. However, with enterprises viewing the lower TCO (total cost of ownership) as the ultimate benefit of cloud, they may not be able to reap the dividends of other benefits," said Taylor Man, executive vice president, New Business Division, NTT Com Asia.
3. Apply changes from purely a technical standpoint
"Probably the biggest mistake I think organizations can make with their adoption of cloud, is to apply changes from purely a technical standpoint, without also incorporating plans for business processes and people processes," said Mark Smith, managing director, SavvisAsia.
"The new economics and agility offered by cloud technologies is systematically changing the roles of the CIO and IT department. The aspiration is to have internal IT achieve far greater alignment to the business through an approach of outsourcing commoditized capabilities (such as managing infrastructure), and allow them to focus upon differentiated services."