Consumers must consider risks before embracing the cloud

Thursday, September 09, 2010

At a recent conference in South Africa, IT professionals and industry leaders indicated there is significant consumer interest in cloud computing. But some experts warned that potential consumers should take precautions before embracing the technology.

Speaking at the ITWeb Virtualization and Cloud Computing conference recently held in Gauteng, SAP specialist Warren Small acknowledged the hype surrounding cloud computing, but stressed that businesses need to have the best architecture in place before investing in the cloud.

“Our message to the market is that it is best to have the appropriate architecture to support cloud computing,” Small said. “The rationale behind this is that by not having adequate architecture in place, the success of cloud computing in business is jeopardized.”

Small also stated that companies should factor identity management infrastructure and virtual infrastructure to get the most value from cloud computing.

According to a recent report from Spiceworks, small- and medium-sized businesses are moving toward the cloud in significant numbers. Research found that 14 percent of responding SMBs currently use cloud computing, and 10 percent plan to adopt services soon.