The IT world is at risk of suffering from cloud overload.
The software as a service revolution is well under way and cash-strapped companies looking to cut their cloth are being bamboozled by providers offering what seems an endless supply of solutions – web solutions, hosted solutions, IT solutions…
As prices fall, there is a definite clamor for cloud-based services, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and not-for-profits are jumping on the bandwagon as they seek to reduce their overheads.
In fact user group the Open Data Center Alliance recently released figures showing that cloud technology is being adopted quicker than predicted.
On the other side of the fence, there is a growing sense that some IT support companies could be missing out on the cloud revolution ‒ simply because they are failing to talk to their own customers.
There also seems to be evidence that many IT professionals may not be taking the cloud too seriously and, crucially, could be failing to recognize the potential benefits. This was highlighted by an alarming recent report by risk consultancy Protiviti, which highlighted that 74% of UK IT managers think cloud computing has absolutely no relevance to their business.
A paltry 8% of IT managers quizzed in the survey said they were using the cloud for their business, while only 3% said that it had been adopted widely across their business. More encouragingly for cloud aficionados, 16% of companies were found to be looking into developing a private cloud service, while 10% were considering the use of a public cloud option.
As Jonathan Wyatt, managing director of study authors Protiviti UK, said: “Concerns over security and data privacy appear to be overshadowing the potential benefits offered by the cloud.
“But businesses need to be more creative about how they think about the cloud and the opportunities it presents. At a time when companies are looking at ways to grow while keeping a lid on costs, cloud computing offers a way to significantly reduce overheads and to allow supply to be more directly matched to demand.”
But there is strong evidence that SMEs are slowly but surely buying into the cloud as they seek ways of reducing costs in the grim economic climate. They see it as a cheaper alternative to an expensive office-based server and associated hardware. But it also seems that many small businesses are prepared to circumnavigate their current IT provider to secure better terms if they are not offered a favorable deal.
So while IT companies continue to install hardware and reap the returns, it seems they must start adopting a new business model or risk losing their clients entirely.
Nick Marshall, managing director of one of the UK’s most influential cloud computing companies, Giacom ThinkCloud, said: “IT companies should view cloud computing as a brilliant chance to grow their client base and make sure they don’t miss out. If they don’t move with the times and simply take the view that the cloud is a flash in the pan, then they are kidding themselves.
“In spite of the low prices, SMEs might still be uncertain about the merits of cloud computing and need teaching about its benefits. This is definitely where IT support companies can come to the fore. They can educate SMEs about cloud services, while also selling their products.”
Darren Duthart, from Glasgow-based Fruit Mobile, is convinced that IT support firms need to be flexible and willing to diversify.
He said: “During my IT career, I have experienced supporting IBM mainframe centralised systems with dumb terminals. The cry when these were decentralised by client-server (mostly Windows desktops) was that this change would be disastrous for IT departments everywhere.
“But as technology evolves, the supporting job roles do too. Cloud services are the latest cycle of the perpetual IT centralisation/decentralisation. But as services move to the cloud, IT support requirements change, so I can fully appreciate any associated apprehension. But with change comes opportunity.”
Darren believes that demand for cloud services will only increase further and if IT firms don’t make the most of the opportunity they could be left behind.
He said: “Demand for cloud services is increasing rapidly from our existing client base. Today's small businesses are no longer restricted from fully utilising software that was previously in the almost exclusive zone of the big ticket enterprise.
“Small firms need to be responsive, agile and secure. They need the flexibility to scale up (or down) without being burdened with software license costs or long contracts. They certainly don't want to spend their precious time installing, maintaining and troubleshooting server software and hardware.
“We are continually being asked to provide further services. What starts with a discussion about Hosted Exchange usually leads to a discussion with them about Hosted Sharepoint, then Hosted Dynamics. It is fair to say most clients ‒ after discovering the full benefits ‒are surprised and delighted by the low cost of entry.
“At Fruit Mobile, we were an early adopter of cloud services; we recognised the advantages and based our business model on these some six years ago.”
David Banks, from UK-based Commun IT, revealed: “Most businesses I deal with are currently exploring the option of cloud computing. The majority of our customers are running small businesses, such as non-profits and charities. With the current decrease in funding, these organisations are looking to reduce overheads and save on operational costs. “
“There is still this fear of migrating to the cloud, however it’s the flexibility of the cloud that can turn these fears to an advantage.
“As an IT support company, we can't afford to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on infrastructure and technology. As more and more people make the move to cloud computing, I think the ones that haven't embraced it will lose control of their customer base and therefore revenue.”
Last word goes to Fruit Mobile’s Darren, who concluded: “The cloud is here and it is going to get a lot bigger in the next few years. Failure to embrace on some kind of level risks being left behind.”
Read More.. http://technorati.com/technology/it/article/cloud-computing-are-it-support-firms/
The software as a service revolution is well under way and cash-strapped companies looking to cut their cloth are being bamboozled by providers offering what seems an endless supply of solutions – web solutions, hosted solutions, IT solutions…
As prices fall, there is a definite clamor for cloud-based services, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and not-for-profits are jumping on the bandwagon as they seek to reduce their overheads.
In fact user group the Open Data Center Alliance recently released figures showing that cloud technology is being adopted quicker than predicted.
On the other side of the fence, there is a growing sense that some IT support companies could be missing out on the cloud revolution ‒ simply because they are failing to talk to their own customers.
There also seems to be evidence that many IT professionals may not be taking the cloud too seriously and, crucially, could be failing to recognize the potential benefits. This was highlighted by an alarming recent report by risk consultancy Protiviti, which highlighted that 74% of UK IT managers think cloud computing has absolutely no relevance to their business.
A paltry 8% of IT managers quizzed in the survey said they were using the cloud for their business, while only 3% said that it had been adopted widely across their business. More encouragingly for cloud aficionados, 16% of companies were found to be looking into developing a private cloud service, while 10% were considering the use of a public cloud option.
As Jonathan Wyatt, managing director of study authors Protiviti UK, said: “Concerns over security and data privacy appear to be overshadowing the potential benefits offered by the cloud.
“But businesses need to be more creative about how they think about the cloud and the opportunities it presents. At a time when companies are looking at ways to grow while keeping a lid on costs, cloud computing offers a way to significantly reduce overheads and to allow supply to be more directly matched to demand.”
But there is strong evidence that SMEs are slowly but surely buying into the cloud as they seek ways of reducing costs in the grim economic climate. They see it as a cheaper alternative to an expensive office-based server and associated hardware. But it also seems that many small businesses are prepared to circumnavigate their current IT provider to secure better terms if they are not offered a favorable deal.So while IT companies continue to install hardware and reap the returns, it seems they must start adopting a new business model or risk losing their clients entirely.
Nick Marshall, managing director of one of the UK’s most influential cloud computing companies, Giacom ThinkCloud, said: “IT companies should view cloud computing as a brilliant chance to grow their client base and make sure they don’t miss out. If they don’t move with the times and simply take the view that the cloud is a flash in the pan, then they are kidding themselves.
“In spite of the low prices, SMEs might still be uncertain about the merits of cloud computing and need teaching about its benefits. This is definitely where IT support companies can come to the fore. They can educate SMEs about cloud services, while also selling their products.”
Darren Duthart, from Glasgow-based Fruit Mobile, is convinced that IT support firms need to be flexible and willing to diversify.
He said: “During my IT career, I have experienced supporting IBM mainframe centralised systems with dumb terminals. The cry when these were decentralised by client-server (mostly Windows desktops) was that this change would be disastrous for IT departments everywhere.
“But as technology evolves, the supporting job roles do too. Cloud services are the latest cycle of the perpetual IT centralisation/decentralisation. But as services move to the cloud, IT support requirements change, so I can fully appreciate any associated apprehension. But with change comes opportunity.”
Darren believes that demand for cloud services will only increase further and if IT firms don’t make the most of the opportunity they could be left behind.
He said: “Demand for cloud services is increasing rapidly from our existing client base. Today's small businesses are no longer restricted from fully utilising software that was previously in the almost exclusive zone of the big ticket enterprise.“Small firms need to be responsive, agile and secure. They need the flexibility to scale up (or down) without being burdened with software license costs or long contracts. They certainly don't want to spend their precious time installing, maintaining and troubleshooting server software and hardware.
“We are continually being asked to provide further services. What starts with a discussion about Hosted Exchange usually leads to a discussion with them about Hosted Sharepoint, then Hosted Dynamics. It is fair to say most clients ‒ after discovering the full benefits ‒are surprised and delighted by the low cost of entry.
“At Fruit Mobile, we were an early adopter of cloud services; we recognised the advantages and based our business model on these some six years ago.”
David Banks, from UK-based Commun IT, revealed: “Most businesses I deal with are currently exploring the option of cloud computing. The majority of our customers are running small businesses, such as non-profits and charities. With the current decrease in funding, these organisations are looking to reduce overheads and save on operational costs. “
“There is still this fear of migrating to the cloud, however it’s the flexibility of the cloud that can turn these fears to an advantage.
“As an IT support company, we can't afford to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on infrastructure and technology. As more and more people make the move to cloud computing, I think the ones that haven't embraced it will lose control of their customer base and therefore revenue.”
Last word goes to Fruit Mobile’s Darren, who concluded: “The cloud is here and it is going to get a lot bigger in the next few years. Failure to embrace on some kind of level risks being left behind.”
Read More.. http://technorati.com/technology/it/article/cloud-computing-are-it-support-firms/
