IT pros stalling on cloud implementations
1 min read
Widespread adoption of cloud computing could be under threat, because organisations don't have the resource to get it off the ground, according to research by independent IT automation software company UC4.
Its study, among IT decision makers across UK organisations, reveals that high maintenance costs and the increasing percentage of time that goes into administration around existing systems are among the biggest challenges.
Nearly two thirds of respondents state that admin tasks are significantly reducing their effectiveness, while 60% say it is also reducing their capacity to work on new initiatives.
The figures appear to show that the number of IT professionals concerned about the impact of IT administration on a department's ability to support the business effectively, has risen by 10%, compared to last year.
"It is clear from the results that IT staff are not reaping the benefits from moving to the cloud," comments Craig Beddis, regional senior vice president at UC4 Software.
"The IT department is under pressure to show it is being as efficient as possible and driving innovation – yet it is faced with a bigger admin burden than ever. This, in turn, is making teams less efficient by focusing too much of their time on mundane admin jobs that are not bringing value to the business," he adds.
His concern: as cloud services offer significant potential for businesses to become more flexible and dynamic, IT staff are becoming victims of their own siloed systems. "This could stall the adoption of more cloud services in the future, if the IT department views it as too much of a headache."
Just under half (47%) of those surveyed say it is difficult integrating disparate systems and getting the information they need, while more than a third (38%) see automation and orchestration as relevant to their cloud strategy. 38% believe cloud can bring increased efficiency.
"In terms of trying to solve the issues of administration and managing hybrid environments, this is where there seems to be a lack of understanding," states Beddis. "More than half of respondents [54%] see the importance of automation in managing hybrid environments, yet a third admit to having a lack of expertise in understanding the benefits of IT automation."
