Planning is critical for companies looking to cloud computing

Monday, July 18, 2011

While companies are flocking to cloud computing to keep up with their competition, some may not be ready to deal with legal and compliance issues associated with the technology.

According to a recent Network World report, the issues facing the cloud are more complex than traditional security concerns. For example, during the recent Amazon cloud outage, many subscribers were not able to access all of their data, leaving behind many questions in the process.

With companies using more mobile and cloud environments, uncharted legal territory and compliance issues await, the report stated.

"With a legal system that has not even caught up to brick-and-mortar and perimeter security, how can we expect any real guidance as we rush forward into the great unknown?" wrote M. E. Kabay, CTO of Adaptive Cyber Security Instruments, and technology expert Gordon Merrill.

Potential issues aside, the public cloud sector is expected to grow exponentially as organizations utilize the technology's benefits. According to research by the International Data Corporation, spending on public cloud services is expected to reach $73 billion by 2015, growing from the $21.5 billion spent in 2010.