Why Cloud Fails to Sell
Cloud computing is still a hazy topic of discussion in spite of its presence in the IT world for some time now. Although everyone is talking highly of the services cloud can offer, and how beneficial it can be to their business, the number of organizations actually investing into the service is much lower than what was expected. Let us take a look into why this is so.
Data Security
The security on cloud is taken very seriously. Admitted. But the security of the data is also inherently dependant on the application itself. If the application is poorly written or if the logic is flawed, then there is a greater risk of data leak than ever.
It is not the responsibility of the cloud to look into data security. It is mainly dependant on the cloud host and the application developer.
Vendor lock-in
Applications on the cloud are based on the platform that the cloud runs on. If you write an application for one platform, the chances of it performing with the same or better efficiency on another platform are low. With a mobile device, it is easy to skip from one vendor to another without any hassle. But that is not the case with the cloud. If you start with one vendor, it is very difficult to migrate to another. In such a situation, the vendor can charge exorbitantly for his services and the client will be forced to pay.
Ignorance
Although the knowledge about the cloud is slowly but steadily reaching the masses, there is still a long way to go. A number of companies are still ignorant on the basic functioning of the cloud itself. Some don’t comprehend the difference between public and private cloud and how they can or can’t be used together.
Venturing into the cloud without thoroughly understanding its operation is highly disastrous. Cloud emphasises on the saying ‘half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge at all’.
Test before you buy
One of the major causes of trouble in case of cloud is lack of or insufficient trial runs by the organization. One has to take it slow, upgrading one application after another to cloud. It is highly discouraged to take the plunge once and for all. Remember, what worked for your competitor may not work for you. Also, remember how we talked about getting the application ready for cloud to avoid data insecurity?
Lack of official standards
Standards are the deciding lifelines of any technology. But in case of the cloud, standards are still what the hosting company sets. Before investing into the cloud, you have to understand that although it is very easy to build applications on the cloud, your host must have the resources to let you grow when your application gains popularity. Standards should allow you to grow; not act as a hindrance. The cloud platform you choose should give you the freedom to build applications the way you want it, not the way the platform permits you to.
How much is good enough?
We agree that the cloud is cheap. But that does not mean it will remain cheap if you buy more space than what you will actually require. Nobody wants to have stocks in the closet that is not generating revenue. Another concern is if your host is selling enough kinds of services with better packages.
Finally, cloud is not the end of technological evolution. Something better will be introduced and render it useless. Investing all the organization’s capital in something so volatile is somewhat of a risk. But that cannot stop us from moving forward, can it?
Data Center Talk updates its resources everyday. Visit us to know of the latest technology and standards from the data center world.
Please leave your views and comments on DCT Forum.