Cloud confusion causes problems for IT professionals

The document management software organisation carried out its research with 60 IT directors and managers across what it describes as a range of UK public and private sector organisations. Of the rest, 17% understand cloud computing to be Internet-based computing, while 11% believe it is a combination of Internet-based computing, software as a service (SaaS), software on demand, an outsourced or managed service and a hosted software service. The remainder reckon cloud computing to be a mixture of the above. Just 5% of respondents say they use cloud computing a lot, while almost half (47%) say they doesn't use cloud computing at all. Version One general manager Julian Buck says: "Although this is only a small survey, the results are very alarming, especially as IT professionals are the very people that need to understand cloud computing so that they can explain its benefits to management." And he adds: "If organisations are going to embrace cloud computing, it's essential that a single, simplified explanation is adopted. Failure to cut through the confusion could result in organisations rejecting this technology and missing out on the benefits." Currently, Version One's survey suggests that only 2% of IT professionals will invest in cloud computing within the next 12 months – although a further 30% might.