Cloud To Benefit Traditional Verses ‘Virtualized’ Users 
Companies with traditional enterprise platforms will benefit more cloud computing options than those already using virtualized resources, according to Everest, a global consulting and research firm.
Cloud computing may hold more benefits to traditional IT enterprises, than those that have already begun to virtualize their resources, especially in their datacenter, according to an outsourcing research report conducted by Everest, a global consulting and research firm.
The Everest IT Outsourcing study, Hype and Reality of Cloud Computing – Mind the Gap! found companies with traditional infrastructure could save 40% to 50% over continued use of a traditional enterprise platform. That said, just how big the benefits might be, Everest said, will depend on how well a company chooses a vendor that can help manage assets, cut costs for asset procurement, standardize delivery and processes, among other issues. .
The Everest report also found cloud options might not bring as a big a bang for the buck to those already using virtual datacenters.
“The cloud conundrum lies in the fact that IT demand best served by the cloud is also the most challenging to serve from the cloud, “said Ross Tisnovsky, Everest’s Vice President, Research, in a statement. “While cloud services offer a strong business case over a traditional enterprise setup, the buyer’s cloud adoption strategy should not be based on cost savings alone.”
Another balancing act, Tisnovsky said, is that companies that procure cloud technologies and services must also balance early-phase risks with their long-term strategies and approaches to cloud computing.
The Everest report also noted several other considerations that should top a prospective cloud adopters’ list:
- Fragmented application portfolios,
- Lack of cloud standards, which may be at least 18 months away,
- Availability of security, system performance and management control, and
- Ability of cloud providers to comply with governance risk and compliance (GRC) needs.
