Counterpoint: Why We Should Not Use the Cloud by Andrea Di Maio.
Andrea writes:
The IT world has embraced the concept of cloud computing. Vendors, users, consultants, analysts, we all try to figure out how to leverage the increasing commoditization of IT from both an enterprise and a personal perspective.
Discussions on COTS have turned into discussions on SaaS, People running their own data center claim they run (or are developing) a private cloud. Shared service providers rebrand their services as community cloud. IT professionals in user enterprises dream to move up the value chain by leaving the boring I&O stuff to vendors and developing more vertical business analysis and demand management skills. What used to be called outsourcing is now named cloud sourcing, while selective sourcing morphs into hybrid clouds or cloud brokerage. Also personally, we look at our USB stick or disk drive with disdain, waiting for endless, ultracheap personal clouds to host all of our emails, pictures, music.
It looks like none of us is truly reflecting about whether this is good or bad. Of course, many are moving cautiously, they understand they are not ready for prime time for all sorts of security, confidentiality, maturity reasons. However it always looks like they have to justify themselves. “Cloud first”, some say, and you’ll have to tell us why you are not planning to go cloud. So those who want to hold to their own infrastructure (without painting it as a “private cloud”) or want to keep using traditional delivery models from their vendors (such as hosting or colocation) almost feel like children of a lesser God when compared to all those bright and lucky IT executives who can venture into the cloud (and – when moving early enough – still get an interview on a newspaper or a magazine).
Let me be clear. I am intimately convinced that the move to cloud computing is inevitable and necessary, even it may happen more slowly that many believe or hope for. However I would like to voice some concerns that may give good reasons not to move. There are probably many others, but it is important to ask ourselves – both as users and providers – tougher questions to make sure we have convincing answers as we approach or dive into the cloud.
That’s like saying your firm doesn’t have “big data.” 😉
The biggest caution is one that Andrea misses.
That is thinking that moving to the “cloud” is going to save on IT expenses.
A commonly repeated mantra in Washington by McNamara types. If you don’t remember the “cost saving” reforms in the military in the early 1960’s, now would be a good time to brush up on your history. An elaborate scheme was created to determine equipment requirements based on usage.
So if you were in a warm climate, most of the year, you did not need snowplows, for example. Except that if you are an air field and it does snow, oops, you need a snowplow that day and little else will work.
At a sufficient distance, the plans seemed reasonable. Particularly with people who did not understand the subject under discussion. Like cost saving consolidations in IT now under way in Washington.