Five cloud computing myths exploded
Published: 02 Feb 2009 10:55 GMT
Myth 2: Cloud computing will take over the world
According to some pundits, it would appear the end of the IT department is imminent. Apparently, IT directors will be throwing out every scrap of kit as soon as possible and rushing to the new model.
But to inject a note of reality, such a cavalier, rip-and-replace approach has never come to pass before, no matter what the hype-mongers have said, and it is unlikely to happen now. Compare the situation with that of client-server in the 1990s — despite commentators widely proclaiming the death of the mainframe, it still has its place and is alive and kicking in many IT departments to this day.
Tom Austin, head of software research at analyst firm Gartner, believes that people in the 1990s "had a fundamental misunderstanding of how business, technology and economics work, and anyone saying that cloud is going to kill the IT department is engaging in the same logical errors".
While he acknowledges the importance of the model and what "a fatal mistake" it would be to ignore the advantages it offers in boosting staff productivity and cutting costs, Austin also indicates that the cloud is likely to act as more of a complement than a replacement to in-house systems. "You can't ignore it, but also don't fall in love with it because, like everything, it has its place. The death of the IT department is greatly exaggerated," he says.
This means that, rather than going for a blanket approach either way, IT directors will need to understand what cloud services make most competitive sense.
Because most IT departments are overwhelmed with work, much of which is routine and mundane rather than strategic and innovative, Jonathan Yarmis, vice president of disruptive technology at AMR Research, recommends outsourcing "low-value things" or "the commodity elements of business operations" to cloud specialists that can do a better job more cheaply. Such activities include commodity application access, email or content archiving.
Since most organisations are likely to adopt some elements of cloud computing over the next five years, the role of the IT director is expected to change accordingly. This change means they will become orchestrators both of internal and external services rather than gatekeepers.
Previous
- Roundup: Cloudwatch special report
- Cloud clout: Who are the real powers in the cloud?
- Five cloud computing myths exploded
- Cloud savings fail to make up for loss of control
- Amazon gives users more cloud control
- Video: Cloud won't become standard, says Kaspersky
- Tech giants form open-cloud-standards group
- Q&A: HP plans reign of ink from the cloud
- Inside IBM's only European Cloud Centre
- What is the cloud's killer app?
- Video: Who is really moving to the cloud?
- Four reasons why business will take to the cloud
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