Posted by on Mar 15, 2013 in Blog | 0 comments

Cloud computing is on the rise within organizations, as 39 percent of organizations report that they are implementing or maintaining cloud solutions – up from 28 percent in 2011, according to CDW’s recent “State of the Cloud 2013” survey.

The report, based on a survey of 1,242 IT professionals familiar with their organization’s plans for the cloud, found that more than half of organizations are migrating or planning to migrate specific applications or infrastructure to the cloud — and that personal use of cloud services is significantly influencing organizational decisions.

“Organizations’ adoption of cloud computing has steadily increased, which comes as no surprise given the growth of mobility and the consumerization of IT,” said Stephen Braat, general manager, cloud solutions at CDW. “By aligning cloud services with critical applications and preferences of employees that use mobile devices, organizations can better capture business value that includes cost savings, increased efficiency, improved employee mobility, and an increased ability to create innovative new products and services.”

The report reveals that 73 percent of respondents believe that employees’ personal use of cloud applications and mobile devices has significantly influenced their organizations’ decisions to adopt cloud computing, with 68 percent stating that employee requests for cloud services have increased over the last two years. In fact, two-thirds of the IT professionals surveyed said that their use of cloud applications and services in their non-work lives directly influences their cloud-related recommendations at work.

Although many respondents continued to cite security as a key factor to address in cloud adoption, other factors have emerged as well. Thirty-two percent of respondents cited cloud service performance, and 25 percent cited the technical integration of cloud applications and/or infrastructure with legacy systems.

Despite these challenges, CDW’s survey found a silver lining for organizations implementing or maintaining cloud services. Estimates of current-year savings from cloud adoption increased from 10 percent of current IT budgets in 2011 to 13 percent in 2012.

“Although the continued migration to cloud computing has presented new challenges, the benefits continue to outweigh the risks,” Braat said.

(For more information, contact: www.CDW.com.)