While cloud computing is a viable option for many IT projects, it is still not a first consideration for most CIOs, a new study from Gartner reveals.
A study of 2,800 CIOs who account for US$397bn worth of IT spend as well as US$202.5bn on infrastructure and operations (I&O) found that 9pc of CIOs are not even considering cloud for software as a service (SaaS) projects, rising to 15pc for infrastructure as a service (IaaS) projects.
“The survey results show that, for most CIOs, public cloud is an option for projects, but only a first consideration for a small minority,” said Dave Russell, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.
“I&O leaders have been more protective of their existing infrastructure and, in many cases, have been the biggest obstacle to cloud-based solutions, often resorting to cloudwashing as an excuse to not seriously pursue a true cloud-based solution. Instead, I&O leaders should institute a ‘cloud-first’ consideration for every project on an application-by-application basis.”
Mobile first
The CIO survey responses indicate that mobile devices are now the primary or secondary interface for a significant number of IT investments.
The survey also showed that 71pc of CIOs felt an increasing need for context-aware services. For I&O leaders, this means mobility must now be a top concern in system design.
It also means that simply making a service available on a mobile device is not enough.
Instead, services must be specifically built for those devices, so they are useful and not a hindrance.
“While the best solution for the business may indeed be an on-premises, noncloud deployment model, I&O teams need to include all options in order to make the best use of available resources and to ensure that service requirements are met,” said Mike Chuba, research vice president at Gartner.
“Rather than ignoring the cloud outright, or only reluctantly considering it, evaluating all implementation models at the outset of a project can help save time and produce better results.”
