Snow Software study uncovers the realities vs. the promises of cloud

26 October, 2021 –Snow Software, the global provider of technology intelligence, unveiled findings from its most recent survey, based on the input from more than 500 IT leaders from organisations with over 500 employees in the United States and United Kingdom to determine the current state of cloud infrastructure.

The study found that while 68% of IT leaders now have a hybrid cloud strategy consisting of both public and private clouds, these organisations are immersed in the realities of what this deployment means for their organisations and are experiencing an array of cloud and infrastructure management challenges despite making this move. The data suggests that while cloud is positioned as a faster, more secure, and ultimately more affordable alternative to private and on-prem infrastructure, it is one piece of the IT management puzzle and not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Approximately one-third (33%) of IT leaders stated that mounting cybersecurity threats are their greatest infrastructure management challenge. Lack of integration between new and old infrastructure technologies (26%), meeting governance and compliance requirements (25%), and managing spend (24%) closely followed as additional areas they’re dealing with. Perhaps unsurprisingly, mitigating concerns about cybersecurity protections (24%) is at the top of IT leaders’ list of cloud management challenges they’d wish to solve in the blink of an eye along with a lack of skilled IT staff (18%) and lack of cloud standardisation (14%).

“Cloud infrastructure was positioned to IT leaders as the ultimate solution to many of their management challenges. While the promise of cloud agile, fast, affordable, and more secure can be realised, organisations often underestimate the full scope of what is needed to truly reap these benefits,” says Alastair Pooley, chief information officer at Snow. “On top of that, organisations implementing a cloud infrastructure are not only dealing with technological complexities but are also challenged to find and retain the people with the right skills to effectively implement and manage cloud. More than ever, the scope of the challenge underscores the value of having end-to-end, hybrid infrastructure visibility across spend, governance, compliance and security such as that provided by Snow’s Technology Intelligence platform.”

Additional key findings from the study include:

  • Cloud proved its worth during the pandemic, with no end to its growth trajectory in sight
    • Nearly half of IT leaders (46%) claim cloud services have been critical to operations during the pandemic; as a result, seven out of 10 (71%) executives have increased overall cloud spend in the last 12 months. This is a 26.7% increase compared to the 2020 findings, with 56% of IT leaders expecting to increase their cloud spend.
    • Another 70% of IT leaders have increased the use of public cloud platforms, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, etc.
    • One-third of IT leaders (33%) added an additional 26-50% capacity to their organisations’ cloud resources in the past year.
  • Scalability and flexibility are among the driving forces for cloud as we move toward a hybrid work era
    • Scalability and flexibility (22%) are the main reasons organisations rely on cloud computing, with another 17% of IT executives stating it is the best environment to develop, test and launch products and services.
    • 44% of IT leaders believe they will add to cloud services to support demand as hybrid working becomes the norm.
  • Cybersecurity protection is a driver for cloud adoption, but also a key concern
    • 11% of IT executives rely on cloud computing for built-in and tested cybersecurity protections, in addition to backing up and storing data (12%).
    • Cybersecurity threats are also key management challenges that, as noted, IT leaders would most like to solve. While the promises of cloud security can be recognised, applications are where vulnerabilities are most likely to occur. Many IT departments are not equipped with the right staff/skillset to adapt their security approach at the pace needed for ever-evolving cybersecurity threats.
  • We need to better enable IT staff with the right knowledge and skillsets required for cloud infrastructure management
    • 63% of C-level IT executives rated themselves as experts in their knowledge of the different types of cloud (private, public and hybrid), and view cloud as critical to business operations, along with three-quarters of company owners.
    • However, only 20% of IT managers, and just under one-third of IT directors (32%), rated themselves as experts.
    • This disparity in understanding and skill related to cloud creates additional challenges for companies as they move to hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, indicating that greater education is needed for mid-level executives to manage cloud infrastructure effectively.

For more information about Snow’s latest survey, please visit: here.

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_OR @jcIoTnow

RECENT ARTICLES

Semtech enhances global connectivity with NTN support in HL78 modules

Posted on: March 29, 2024

Semtech Corporation has announced the integration of non-terrestrial network (NTN) support into its HL series LPWA modules, specifically the HL7810 and HL7812. This significant advancement showcases a leap forward in enabling uninterrupted global connectivity even amidst the most challenging conditions.

Read more

Enhance EV charging performance with cellular connectivity

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) are steadily growing their market share at the expense of internal combustion engine vehicles. The growth is fuelled by several factors. Perhaps most importantly, prices for EVs have started to drop as competition in the industry is intensifying. New players and models are emerging, prompting several established EV makers to lower their

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more