Getting Smart about the Cloud: How Cloud Computing is Impacting Business and how Enterprises should Plan for it

Cloud Computing is refashioning the cost, quality, speed and flexibility by which businesses can access – and suppliers can deliver – services to support business needs..  As Cloud-based services mature, many business functions can reduce their reliance on on-premise software, hardware and internal administration to access many business services.

Cloud Computing has developed from a modular point solution in the form of SaaS deployments (e.g., talent management and expense management) to become an increasingly integral method for leveraging computing resources for IT and business. The rapid adoption of Cloud alternatives by the business has meant that management disciplines, standards and best practices are well behind where most organizations need them to be, in order to manage appropriately both IT and business risks.
This disruptive change that is challenging today’s organizations to take advantage of Cloud-based services, is proving a difficult pill to swallow for many organizations. They need support and advice to help them with both internal IT and business process transformation, in addition to the contractual advice to ensure they are approaching their Cloud opportunities in the right way to mitigate risk and maximize productivity advantages.

This report provides both IT and Business executives with a detailed assessment of Cloud adoption strategies, an analysis of business benefits, concerns, challenges and contractual issues that need to be addressed and discusses the key services providers in the market.