Cloud Adoption Enters New Phase With Rise Of Multi-Cloud Use, CompTIA Research Finds

Migration patterns and policy changes signal greater maturity

With 90 percent of companies claiming some form of cloud usage, many organizations have moved to the next step, leveraging multiple cloud models in different combinations to optimize benefits and efficiencies, according to new research from CompTIA, the non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry.

As cloud computing becomes a default part of the IT landscape, more companies are relying on cloud computing for business processes such as storage (59 percent), business continuity and disaster recovery (48 percent) and security (44 percent), CompTIA’sFourth Annual Trends in Cloud Computing study reveals.

“Once companies hit a stage where they are using cloud systems as a standard part of IT architecture, they weigh the pros and cons of various providers and models and continually shift to achieve the optimal mix,” said Seth Robinson, director, technology analysis, market research, CompTIA. “A healthy percentage of companies are moving from one public cloud provider to another, moving from a public cloud provider to their own private cloud, or moving applications back on-premise.”

CompTIA’s study found that more than six in ten cloud users have made secondary shifts of infrastructure or applications following their original transition to the cloud.

• Public to Public: The most popular type of move is from one public cloud provider to another. Factors for switching providers include security, costs, features, open standards, outages and customer service.
• Public to Private: Many businesses may give the label “private cloud” to a virtualized set of resources. A true private cloud employs software that manages resources automatically, dynamically allocating as needed without manual intervention.
• Public to On-Premise: By far the primary motivation to move back to an on-premise system is security. Companies may simply move a particular application that gives them concern, while they still have less sensitive applications on public cloud platforms.

View a matrix of cloud business migration models at http://www.slideshare.net/comptia/enduser-cloud-migrations:

“In the future, companies will have their architecture spread across multiple clouds along with on-premise systems, choosing the option that best suits their needs for a particular application,” added Robinson. “This is no different than a traditional data center with servers that are configured for different purposes, but the management challenges are much greater. As the industry moves toward a multi-cloud paradigm, there will be ample opportunity for IT channel firms to help manage the growing complexity.”

How Are Cloud Models Transforming Business Policies & Procedures
While cloud computing is becoming highly adopted and well accepted, there are still many challenges to be dealt with as companies transform themselves:

• Procurement: The incidence of rogue IT—where lines of business are procuring their own cloud solutions without necessarily involving the IT department—has dropped slightly, but companies must still find ways to ensure that both business needs and IT concerns are being addressed.
• Cost Tracking: Nine percent of companies are not tracking costs and another 12% are finding savings to be lower than estimated. Higher usage costs, staff training and network upgrades can contribute to cost surprises.
• Policies: Companies that have three or more years of cloud adoption history find that modifying policy has become a greater challenge than integration, showing that transforming business practices is just as difficult as a technical migration.
• Robinson will present analysis from the study at Cloud Partners Conference in Chicago next week at two sessions:
• Tuesday, September 10, 2:00-4:00 p.m., Cloud Services Boot Camp, and
• Wednesday, September 11, 8:30-9:15 a.m., The Value of the Mobility + Cloud Equation.

CompTIA’s Fourth Annual Trends in Cloud Computing study is based on an online survey conducted in July 2013 of 501 technology or business professionals (end users) in the U.S. and 400 IT channel companies. The complete report is available at no cost to CompTIA members who can access the file at www.CompTIA.org or by contacting research@comptia.org.  A synopsis of end-user data from the report can be access on CompTIA’s SlideShare page at http://www.slideshare.net/comptia/slideshare-2013-cloud-end-user-study.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org.