Security is major barrier to adoption of cloud computing.

Security is playing a key role in the willingness of organizations to adopt cloud computing solutions, according to  a study recently released by Launchpad Europe, a business accelerator outfit based in London.

The study based on a survey of 105 IT security experts across the globe found that more than 50 percent of them identified security concerns as the primary reason their organizations were shying away from embracing the cloud.

Asked what their highest priority was when considering a cloud services provider, 37.9 percent cited security of the cloud infrastructure. Another 12.6 percent identified security procedures to protect their data centers as their highest concern.

The data collected by the researchers also suggests there is considerable doubt about whether those security worries can be met by a cloud vendor. Some 49.5 percent of the respondents told the pollsters their companies neither use nor plan to use the cloud in the next 12 months.

Other significant items when choosing a cloud vendor cited by the survey respondents were due diligence and track record of service provider (18.4 percent) and ease of migrating data from vendor’s service to a new service.

Among the companies participating in the survey who do have cloud deployments, 16.5 percent said they used public deployments; 16.5 percent, private deployments; 10.7 percent, hybrid; and 6.8 percent managed.

Continue reading Security tempers zeal for cloud computing

The increasing popularity of cloud-based solutions has resulted in many new offerings of cloud platforms as well as numerous as-a-service software solutions. We also have storage-as-a-service, to alleviate in-house storage demands; and even supercomputing-as-a-service. Are all of these cloud services robust enough for mainstream, daily use?

Computing is seldom a one-size-fits-all proposition, and what works for one company won’t work for another. The same is true with the cloud. What’s clear though, is that it is here to stay. There are two things that have led more companies to face the cloud question head-on: Available technology in the form of cloud services and solutions, and greater availability of cheap, high-speed connectivity; and simple economics. These two factors have converged nicely.

Continue reading When is in-the-cloud security appropriate?

Hosted email and hosted security services have gained attention recently, as the Software-as-a-Service model catches on. But is SaaS always the best option? Clearly, no. A recent Business Week article, entitled “Beware the Hype for Software as a Service“, dispels a few myths about this popular option–breaking open several common myths and explaining that SaaS is not always cheaper, it does not necessarily reduce hardware investment, it is not always quicker to set up, and data are not always secure and backed up.

When looking at managed security solutions, it appears that the cost is lower than in-house solutions, although this is not always the case–it seems lower, because the cost is spread out over the entire duration of use, as opposed to a single up-front license, but this won’t fool the CFO.

Continue reading Hosted services don’t always fit the bill