Organisations across industries are unanimously adopting the cloud, or are considering doing so, according to a new study conducted by TriCore Solutions, the application management company.
The research, based on survey results from more than 200 IT industry professionals, outlined how IT departments are adapting strategies to support their organisations’ digital transformation efforts and growth objectives.
While many organisations see a move to the cloud as a key component to their digital transformation strategy, less than 20% of professionals surveyed said their organisation is using the public cloud.
>See also: The enabling role hybrid cloud can play in transformation
Gartner has predicted that the worldwide public cloud services market will grow 18% in 2017 to $246.8 billion, up from $209.2 billion in 2016 – indicating increased public cloud use in the coming months. By examining the challenges and trends with the greatest influence on IT strategies and cloud adoption, the research uncovered adjustments that IT leaders may
make to support corporate objectives.
Digital transformation trends
Insights from the study reinforced the perception that cloud adoption continues to rise, with 100% of organisations either in the process of or considering moving operations to the cloud – and citing reduced costs and streamlined operations as the primary drivers for doing so. 41% saw data analytics or big data as a related driver, while 25% saw the Internet of Things (IoT) as a related driver.
Harnessing the power of the cloud
Use of the private cloud was popular (49%) among respondents, while 32% said they use hybrid and 19% opting for a public cloud. More than half of respondents said they rely on a cloud provider and 35% rely on a managed service provider (MSP) to ease uncertainty about the best (or most realistic) path to digital transformation.
>See also: 6 ways security accelerates innovation in digital transformation
Lingering security concerns
Nearly all respondents agreed that security is a major concern when discussing public cloud adoption. However, security concerns were slightly lower for those respondents who rely on an MSP, shedding light on the value of managed security services that assess and monitor an organisation’s applications environment as new threats develop.
Building a digital transformation team
IT skills and experience or team bandwidth were the second most cited barriers to cloud adoption – after security concerns – due to the varying skills required to create a deep IT bench for successful cloud deployment and management.
Budgeting for transformation
43% of respondents said 40% or more of the company’s budget is allocated to digital transformation efforts – and with these changes, companies are evaluating their IT spend often. Most respondents believed their IT budget will change in the next year, with 68% of those respondents indicating it will increase.
>See also: Digitally transforming with the right cloud strategy
“As organisations move towards a cloud-first strategy, IT leaders need a strategic roadmap to ensure they are choosing the right journey through digital transformation,” said Mark Clayman, CEO and President of TriCore Solutions.
“Though there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to the cloud, partnering with the right cloud provider or MSP allows organisations to unlock the keys to today’s digital age, helping them better understand and efficiently leverage the data available to them.”
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