Cloud computing isn’t a topic that managers are neutral about. However, that doesn’t mean that the decisions we make about cloud rollouts are logical.
Cloud picture from Shutterstock
Speaking at NetApp’s Insight conference in Las Vegas this week, Enterprise Strategy Group senior analyst Mark Peters noted that cloud was frequently a contentious issue. “When we talk to CIOs, cloud is the one issue that gets the most people responding in a black and white fashion. Cloud is either people running towards it or not making any move.”
That doesn’t mean the decision is always made on a rational basis. “For the people who had already tried the cloud, ease of use and performance were bigger obstacles for them than for people who hadn’t yet adopted it,” Peters said. “People are concerned about whether it’s going to be as easy as it says on the can.”
Ultimately, rusted-on attitudes will rarely lead to a wise decision. “Cloud is just IT that happens to be run by someone else,” Peters noted. That’s a useful attitude to adopt when weighing up cloud platforms.
Disclosure: Angus Kidman travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of NetApp.
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