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CompTIA: More than 90 Percent of Businesses Using Cloud

As companies go deeper into the cloud, the more difficult integration becomes, the study also finds.

• By Keith Ward
• 11/10/2014

The cloud "has quickly become an essential ingredient of modern IT," says CompTIA Inc., using data from its latest study, "5th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing," which reports more than 90 percent adoption, at some level, of cloud computing.

That conclusion was based on a June/July 2014 survey, which also found that moving applications, infrastructure and other resources to the cloud isn't nearly as easy as some vendors claim in the marketing materials. "This may come as a surprise to some firms, as they may hold an expectation that the initial migration and integration posed the largest obstacles to smooth cloud operations," Seth Robinson, CompTIA's senior director for technology analysis, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The key findings in this area showed that, of companies in the early stages of cloud conversions, 28 percent said it required "significant" effort; that figure jumped to 63 percent of those who have completed a cloud transformation.

In fact, as businesses get more involved in moving operations to the cloud, the hurt gets worse. For companies going from experimental use of the cloud to non-critical use, 73 percent report low or moderate effort is needed; going the next step, from non-critical use to full production, the number drops to 66 percent; and going from full production to the "Transformed IT" stage, just 37 percent found it relatively easy.

Those growing pains shouldn't scare off companies, however; the study reported that the move to the cloud is reducing costs (although the study didn't quantify these cost savings).

Perhaps not surprisingly, larger companies, with their bigger IT staffs and deeper pockets, have made the most headway to the "Transformed IT" level, which CompTIA describes as companies "not simply moving existing systems or applications into the cloud; they're changing the way they work in order to reap the full benefit." At this point, the report says, the cloud is no longer a distinct focus area, instead being fully integrated into IT operations and management.

Although larger companies are out in front, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are also diving in, albeit further behind. Those that have yet to start experimenting with the cloud site the typical factor -- security -– as the major sticking point.

CompTIA, an organization representing IT companies, as well as offering IT certification, surveyed 400 IT and business professionals for its survey.