After a short break for some client work, I’m back to my cloud computing survey list. This afternoon, I’ve reviewed the Google Communications Intelligence Report, October 2009, Rackspace’s No More Servers, November 2009 and F5 Networks’ Cloud Computing Survey, June- July 2009. The Google and Rackspace surveys were interesting, but small and midsize business oriented and therefore not relevant for my enterprise considerations project.
The F5 Networks survey presented findings in 5 areas:
- Confusion about the definition of cloud computing
- Cloud computing has gained critical mass
- Cloud computing is more than SaaS
- Core technologies for building the cloud
- Influencers go beyond IT
The section I found most interesting was the last, which covered the business drivers for public and private cloud computing adoption, as well as the organizational areas leading the adoption charge.
Business Drivers:
“77 percent of respondents reported that efficiency is a driver for public clouds. Additionally, respondents claim that reducing capital costs (68 percent) and easing staffing issues (61 percent) are key drivers behind public clouds.
For private cloud computing, respondents listed reducing capital cost (63 percent), agility (50 percent) and easing staffing issues (50 percent) as drivers.”
In a supporting chart, the remaining drivers of public cloud computing: agility (58%), make it easier to add/remove services (57%), avoid over provisioning (55%), infinite scalability (53%), reduce operating expense (51%), Green (51%), better choice (47%), and reliability (45%).
From the same chart, other drivers of private cloud computing: ease staffing issues (50%), infinite scalability (46%), efficiency (45%), reduce operating expense (45%), better choice (44%), make it easier to add/remove services (43%), avoid over provisioning (38%), reliability (37%), and Green (35%).
Although respondents might be confused about the definition of cloud computing, they clearly understand the benefits, and in particular how the benefits change between public and private cloud computing. In a private cloud computing environment, assuming on-premise ownership and management, the benefits for staffing, over provisioning avoidance, reliability and green still exist, but in smaller amounts.
Business Influencers:
“According to respondents, the top influencers for public clouds include IT (45 percent), application development (41 percent) and LOB business stakeholders (41 percent).
On a similar note, respondents claimed the top three influencers in the implementation process for private clouds are IT (45 percent), LOB business unit stakeholders (36 percent) and application development teams (24 percent).”
The accompanying chart describes the 41 and 36% business influence bars as “Drive the Initiative”. While the report doesn’t specify the types of initiatives, it’s not far fetched to imagine many of those public cloud computing adoption scenarios are business involvement only. In other words, the next wave (tsunami) of end-user development. Are you prepared?
