| Cloud computing is a term for any kind of company or website that involves providing hosting services on the internet. Through cloud computing, a service is sold on demand, in a large or little of an amount as the consumer wishes, and is entirely managed by the provider. According to an article in ComputerWeekly, barriers that have previously existed to cloud computing are slowly falling, enabling users easier access to this type of service. Larger enterprises are working on plans that include cloud computing for their companies. Arthur Bolton, the director at TPI, says that cloud computing has, up until now, only been appropriate for small and medium sized companies. As barriers move, however, larger companies and enterprises are able to use it as well. Bolton lists four major barriers that prevent large companies from the adaptation for cloud computing: security, flexibility, functionality, and auditing.
Some security barriers are collapsing, as suppliers are becoming more willing to set up security that meets ISO industry standards. While many suppliers did not want consumers auditing their securities, most are not concerned with independent standard organisations doing so. Previously, most businesses were extremely cautious of their data, fearing it might be at risk should their security become available to the wrong persons. Trusting a cloud computing supplier with private business information and data has always been the largest barrier to adaptation, according to Bolton. Bob Fawthrop, an outsourcing advisor and former IT employee says “as Cloud Computing matures, there is no reason why the security of its provision should not also mature, and therefore, it become the norm for some organisations.”
While the security barrier may be moving, one that is not is that of flexibility. Cloud computing is designed to make ordering a service simpler and less expensive in order to either increase or decrease the amount of services consumed. For larger enterprises to make use of this service, they would need to be able to pay as they went. This way, when business is going well, they would pay more; when volumes were low, they would pay less. Bolton, however, insists that such a method is not possible.
Because a computing service may not have all the characteristics of an in-house service, and a business would hold the responsibility of taking up the slack, functionality has always been a barrier as well. Bolton comments “Suppliers are working pretty hard in coming up with new releases of products that increase functionality. Customers are having to fill fewer gaps.”
While suppliers will more than likely never allow customers to audit their data and securities, Bolton suggests they could be given control over such audits. “If they can agree on the audits,” he says, “customers will have more confidence.” Although cloud computing still has a couple barriers in place, with time, they too may collapse and allow for the adaptation of cloud computing services to larger enterprises. Fawthrop says that despite the barriers, he believes that “cloud computing will provide the solution for many organisations.”
By Kate Barber
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