Banishing financial superstitions about cloud computing

Friday, January 20, 2012

The IT departments of many corporations and businesses today face a tough choice when deciding whether or not to upgrade to cloud services. However, many myths have developed around the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing, and some are scaring away investors from the cloud market.

A common misconception is that upgrading to cloud computing is not cost-effective. Though recent industry reports, like Magellan from the Department of Energy, do prove that some cloud optimization strategies well exceed operational budgets, they also explain the long-term benefits from such ventures.

The challenge is that businesses want to see immediate returns on investment - a managed service provider offering long-term solutions that might even take years to fully implement. Centralized data storage, infrastructure management and firewall security are all benefits that must be specifically customized to meet a corporation's needs.

According to PC World, Sadogopan Singam, the global VP of cloud computing at HCL Technologies, said top executives "must understand how cloud computing technologies will drive long-term benefits two to three years following the initial implementation."

Cloud computing is not a cut-and-dry industry, and must be approached with patience if a business wants to enjoy maximum success.