Cloud challenges to avoid in 2011

Monday, December 27, 2010

Undoubtedly, cloud computing has been one of the most talked-about topics among IT professionals in 2010. As the cloud market continues to grow next year, there are a number of challenges IT departments must avoid to enjoy successful cloud deployments.

In a recent report, uptime software highlighted some of the cloud computing "pitfalls" companies must avoid in 2011.

One mistake uptime software advises against is migrating too much content to the cloud at once. Too much too soon can result in "cloud sprawl," which can lead to loss of control and increased costs.

Uptime software also asserts IT departments must be diligent about monitoring their performance on the cloud. Failure to do so can result in loss of business value, visibility, security or even employment.

"CIOs, IT managers and system administrators alike need a sound plan along with deep performance monitoring in place before moving to the cloud in order to ensure the end result isn't a new job hunt," said uptime software chief technology officer Alex Bewley.

Cloud services have seen tremendous growth this year. According to Gartner, services sales are expected to continue surging in the next few years, growing from $68.3 billion in 2010 to $148 billion in 2014.