Cloud security main interest area for Senior IT end users
Cloud Computing is poised for rapid growth
2012 looks to be the year cloud computing will take off in UK enterprises. In November 2011 we surveyed delegates attending our UK Virtualisation/Cloud Computing Executive Summit. The survey revealed that cloud computing already has a significant share of UK large organisation IT budgets: the firms surveyed are now spending 10% of their IT budgets on cloud computing services, and plan to increase that number to 28% in the next 2 years. However, behind this average 10% figure there are two types or organisations: those that have embraced cloud as an important part of their future strategy and those that are still on the starting blocks. 43% of delegates surveyed were spending less than 1% of their IT budgets on cloud; the remaining 57% were spending on average 18%. The survey also confirmed that making the business case for cloud is becoming easier: earlier this year 60% of delegates at the June 2011 Tech:Touchstone Virtualisation/Cloud Computing Executive Summit with a zero spend on cloud were unsure of the financial benefits of cloud computing; now that figure is down to 27%.
Top Reasons for zero budgets on cloud computing
Security issues dominate firms’ thinking on Cloud
Many organisations are finding that security is the initial obstacle they must overcome to unlock the benefits of cloud computing. To find out what was holding back the reluctant 43% who had no firm plans for using cloud computing services, we asked them what they were worried about; 67% responded that they had technical or security concerns. We conclude that security concerns are a major barrier that hinders and delays firms from entering the cloud world; the survey also confirmed that cloud security is an issue for those already spending IT budget no cloud services. In fact security is the top topic about which both existing adopters and firms new to cloud computing firms seek information and help.
Top Virtualisation/Cloud Product/Service Interests
Simon Rice, Principal Policy Adviser at the Information Commission’s Office will be speaking about the risks and benefits of mobile devices and the cloud and how the ICO went about their compliance strategy at the February Information Security Executive Summit, being held at the Richmond Hill Hotel on 28th-29th February.
