Security Remains A Drag On Cloud Adoption
Despite surging cloud usage rates, security concerns remain the leading barrier to wider adoption of cloud computing as IT decision makers cope with a shortage of reliable safeguards to prevent security breaches to their cloud networks.
Meanwhile, the annual Dell Global Technology Adoption Index released last week also found a "strong correlation" between cloud adoption and company growth, with 72 percent of companies expanding their cloud infrastructure growing a 6 percent or greater clip over the last three years.
Nevertheless, security concerns and a general lack of experience with cloud offerings continue to be a drag on the adoption of cloud and related technologies, according to the Dell index. The hardware giant found that more than half of respondents (52 percent) worried most about cloud security. Adoption of related technologies like mobile and big data were found to be slightly less immune to security concerns.
The index also found that enterprises are relying heavily on third parties like an IT partner for information on cloud deployments. While security was the biggest drag on cloud adoption, Dell said limited experience with cloud computing was cited by one-third of respondents as a reason why they haven't implemented cloud services.
For those mid-sized organizations that have rolled out cloud networks, half said they are using one type of cloud platform while 26 percent have deployed two cloud types, either public, private or hybrid. "Those using multiple clouds are reaping more benefits," the Dell index asserted.
Fully 97 percent of the companies surveyed by Dell said they have cloud networks up and running (79 percent) or are considering cloud deployments (18 percent). Interestingly, cloud adoption rates over the last year have been highest in Latin America (90 percent), according to the cloud adoption index.
By country, the highest cloud growth rates were in Brazil and Mexico (both 90 percent) followed closely by emerging markets like China (82 percent).
Despite largely unmet concerns about cloud security, the Dell index underscored some of the operational benefits of cloud adoption. Among those surveyed, 44 percent said cloud adoption resulted in better allocation of limited IT resources while 42 percent cited cost savings and 40 percent flagged operational efficiencies.
The Dell index also examined adoption of mobile and big data technologies and, especially in the case of big data, how those technologies are shaping cloud adoption. Responding to concerns about cloud security, 43 percent said they are leveraging private clouds as they roll out big data initiatives; 24 percent said they are relying on traditional servers instead of public clouds (11 percent) to store big data.
Dell said it surveyed more than 2,000 mid-size public and private organizations for its first global index. The results were released during the DellWorld company event in Austin, Texas.
