Is it possible to have a 100% cloud environment?

Many experts are predicting a “second wave” for cloud services. Public, private and hybrid cloud implementations are reported to be accelerating, according to Forrester, as CIOs seek to take advantage of cloud’s economies of scale to build on core applications.

In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2020 “no-cloud” policies will be as scarce as “no-internet” policies are today. With this prediction in mind, we examine the possibility of a 100% cloud environment, the roadblocks to achieving it and whether “total cloud” is even desirable.

Will regulation allow for 100% cloud?

I’m unaware of any regulation that prevents a particular business moving to 100% cloud environment. Some regulatory authorities state data must be stored in a UK/EU data centre, but that’s as far as it goes. The fact is that for many businesses now, and also in the future, a 100% cloud environment is perfectly viable.

Will customer attitudes allow for a 100% cloud environment?

It depends on the type of organisation and the size of that organisation. At the end of the day if a 100% cloud environment is the right solution, then the organisation will move. Attitudes towards total cloud solutions have certainly softened, especially over the last 18 months – even those whose sectors have traditionally been very conservative and wary of change, such as the legal market.

Will business objectives and needs allow for a 100% cloud environment?

Most businesses could move to some form of cloud platform on a 100% basis, no matter what the size or sector. You will need to consider, however, if this is the right solution, cost and functionality-wise. Typically, and in the majority of cases, in mid-to-large firms then some sort of hybrid environment will be the correct solution.

Will culture allow for a 100% cloud environment?

Culture has never really been an issue in going into the cloud. A correctly implemented cloud platform should not impact the user experience particularly, and thus has no impact on a culture. You do encounter some IT leaders who are wary of the cloud. However, this is often due to a protectionist attitude that their role will become redundant. This is, in the main, a false statement as IT leaders add the greatest value when focused on business systems and the development/improvement of systems, not running IT infrastructure.

Is 100% cloud environment even desirable?

100% is desirable by some businesses, but that’s often due to a lack of focus on what IT really is. Cloud is simply one tool in the box. A desire for 100% cloud can often be as wrong as wanting to run everything internally. You need to choose the right tools for the job and the end objective.

Robert Rutherford – QuoStar CEO

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