Despite security and control concerns pertaining to cloud computing, nearly 40 per cent of Canadian companies use some form of the technology, according to a survey of C-level executives and IT managers in 17 countries, commissioned by IT consulting firm Avanade.
The 2009 Cloud Computing Survey, conducted by Kelton Research, showed that 37 per cent of Canadian companies currently use a combination of cloud computing and internally owned IT systems, compared to only one-third of companies worldwide.
Familiarity with the technology is also higher in Canada, with 71 percent indicating they are familiar with it compared to 61 per cent worldwide.
Early cloud adopters reported they are increasing their investments in this technology after seeing reduced up-front IT costs and improved agility to respond quickly to market conditions. However, the majority of companies report no plans to integrate cloud computing in the next 12 months. The reason for this may be linked to trust; by a 5-to-1 ratio, executives reported that they trust existing internal systems over cloud-based systems due to fear about security threats and loss of control of data and systems.
“It’s very encouraging to see that Canadian firms are ahead of the curve when it comes to cloud familiarity and usage,” said Kaytek Przybylski, Capability Director with Avanade Canada. “Nevertheless, international concerns about security and control of data are limiting its broad adoption. One of the pressing issues that lie before our industry is addressing these perceived barriers.”
The majority of respondents said that their current internal systems are too expensive, while early cloud adopters reported they are increasing their investments in this technology after seeing reduced up-front IT costs and improved agility to respond quickly to market conditions.
More information on this study can be found at www.avanade.com