Developing the Right Cloud Strategies

Cloud computing can dramatically reduce the cost and hassles of managing the technology and associated infrastructure. But like any other offering, you should do some research before you decide to apply cloud services to a specific business problem. The cloud may not be the right answer to every business problem within your organization.

You also need to consider the company's strategy regarding capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operational expenses (OPEX). For example, you need to pay for any bills provided by a cloud service provider as an operational expense. That can be a problem if the company accountants would rather buy a piece of equipment and depreciate it over time.

You also need to consider the type of cloud to be used as well as the right service levels. And what about legal and other compliance issues as your data goes to external clouds? Finally, you must place a lot of faith in the providers who will store your information. Many IT people don't like the idea that they can't back up data locally.