Main trends of IT market and transition to cloud computing by eyes of customers

Today the Russian companies are faced by the urgent need in conversion of the existing IT systems caused, on the one hand, by the growing requirements of end users, and with another – requirement of the companies for the innovations capable to bring business to new level. So, more than 60% of the companies in the region of EMEA and 73% of the organizations in Russia are going to use cloud computing for more effective customer interaction and citizens.

Most of the respondents who participated in poll come to a conclusion about need in the shortest possible time to change accents in the IT strategy of the organizations and to select new, more effective tools:

• 50% of heads of the Russian companies consider lack of flexibility of IT infrastructure an obstacle for the solution of the business challenges facing the enterprise which does not allow to meet customer requirements fully.
• 38% of respondents see the reason of lag of business in the outdate applications. At the same time only 5% of the Russian CIO which participated in poll reported that they reviewed a portfolio of the used applications for the last three years. Thus, many organizations do not even know what applications they have and as far as they are expensive. At the same time the employee survey of such companies shows that in general there is an idea of a possibility of more effective maintaining and maintenance of business processes in case of the certain conversions giving to IT systems flexibility in reaction to market changes.
• According to more than a third of respondents, the processing speed of requests of clients could increase by 30% in case of optimization of computing powers of the companies.
• More than 40% of respondents believe that their organizations can save up to 10% of the IT budget in case of upgrade of applications. Besides, 6 of 10 respondents said that savings from transition to hybrid "cloud" environments can make from 21 to 50% of the IT budget of the company. HP helps clients to select and check applications for compatibility with a cloud environment based on 32 different indicators".

In general the vast majority of respondents after transition to "cloud" speaks not only about economy of the budget of the company on IT, but also calls IT a profit source for the organizations. All this induces many organizations to review of IT strategy and transition to different solutions of virtualization based on cloud computing. About same digits testify: about 50% of the organizations in the region of EMEA and more than 50% of the organizations in Russia consider cloud computing as the engine of the innovative development of the organizations. At the same time about 80% of respondents in the region of EMEA and 90% in Russia find necessary the translation of business and critical applications in "cloud" in the next 2-5 years.

On November 7, 2011 the Symantec corporation published results of the research State of Cloud Survey for 2011. Questions of how the organizations apply cloud computing and what changes they should make to the control circuit IT were asked respondents. According to survey results, the organization ambiguously treat security issues: this aspect is noted at the same time as the greatest complexity and as a main objective of transition to clouds. The research also showed that not all IT companies can pass to cloud computing: nearly a half of respondents answered that in their IT personnel companies it is not ready yet.

'Survey results confirm that information which we receive from our customers. The security issue is one of the main when it comes about transition to clouds, - Francis deSouza, the president of group of Corporate products and services, Symantec told, - to be sure of a cloud environment, the IT organizations should take the measures guaranteeing the uniform level of transparency and control of the commercial information and applications – irrespective of whether there is a work in a cloud environment or based on local infrastructure".

Specialists answered questions of different forms of cloud computing, including public and private clouds of SaaS (Softwere-as-a-Service), hybrid infrastructure or PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), as well as public or private infrastructure of PaaS.

The organizations are not sure of security issues

Data retrieveds showed that the organizations it is contradictory belong to security – noting this point as a main objective and at the same time main complexity upon transition to cloud computing. 87% of respondents are sure that cloud computing will not influence the current situation or will even help to improve degree of protection. However creation of a security system for a cloud environment also is the main objective for the same companies which noted the viruses extended by mail, hacker cracking and loss of confidential information as the main risks.

'In a cloud environment everything depends on how you protect the data, - the CIO of the small technology company told, - If in a cloud environment there are no means of protecting, then sense to resort to cloud computing is not present'.

The IT personnel are not absolutely ready to cloud environments

Despite extensive discussions, many organizations say that they are not ready to apply cloud computing. A smaller part of respondents (from 15% to 18%) reported that their personnel are completely ready to transition to cloud computing. At the same time nearly a half of respondents is noted that the IT service is not ready to these changes now.

Partly the shortage of experience as only 25% of IT departments worked with cloud environments is the reason of insufficient readiness. As a result most the organizations look for external resources for the solution of the matters now. Actually, implementing hybrid infrastructure or PaaS service, about 3 of 4 respondents address official resellers, independent consultants, directly service organizations of vendors or system integrators.

Not all reached the finish

Many organizations speak about transition to clouds, from 75% to 81% of the companies discuss a possibility of application of all forms of cloud computing. In particular this research revealed interest in cloud services. 73% of respondents already applied or implement similar services, and first of all – in information security field. The leading suppliers of cloud services, in turn, actively develop services in management and protection of e-mail; offer security control facilities and also tools for protection against web threats and security of services for instant transfer of messages.

However some companies already completely passed into a cloud environment. Less than 20% of respondents reported that they finished implementation of cloud computing in all aspects affected by the report. Every fourth of the polled organizations are at an implementation stage today. About 2/3 still discuss use of technologies, use trial versions or are not going to migrate in a cloud environment at all.

The reality does not meet expectations

Poll found out that the organizations applying cloud computing often do not observe those results / advantages which they expected to see. 88% believed that cloud computing will improve adaptivity of their IT environment, but only 47% were succeeded to achieve it in reality. Also unfavourable results were detected in the field of recovery after accidents, decrease in operating costs and increased security.

Recommendations

Undertake a role of the initiator on implementation of cloud computing. IT departments should have a pro-active position upon transition to clouds. Too many IT companies implement cloud computing slowly, methodically and conservatively. Being the IT leading, you should control all important aspects of transition – security, availability and cost. It is difficult to make it until your personnel received necessary education and training.

Define requirements to information and applications. Not all information resources and applications in your company work equally. Carry out the analysis and separate information and applications on levels, having revealed what resources it is more convenient to you to move to a cloud environment.

Estimate risks and create the corresponding politicians. Make sure that crucial information is available only to authorized users and does not leave the company. You need also to be convinced of that, suppliers of cloud services conform to your requirements. For this purpose carry out the assessment of opportunities of potential suppliers regarding providing the high level of availability and opportunities of recovery after accidents.

Begin right now. It is not necessary to take a position "everything or nothing" on cloud computing. Application of cloud services is a simple first step on the way to cloud environments. For the translation of applications, critical for business, time can be required, but you can give to outsourcing support of simpler applications and services already now.

Poll of Symantec State of Cloud 2011 is focused on different forms of cloud computing, including public and private clouds of SaaS, hybrid infrastructure or PaaS, as well as public or private infrastructure of PaaS. Results were received according to the results of the questioning which is carried out from April to July, 2011 by Applied Research company. The IT specialists and heads responsible for the PC, networks and technologies in corporations and SMB were polled. It is one of the most large-scale polls in the field of cloud computing covering 5,300 respondents from 38 countries.