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Vast majority of execs believe IT’s future is in the cloud

Vast majority of execs believe IT’s future is in the cloud

Cloud computing is ingrained into the very fabric of the IT industry, no longer considered just a technology that may deliver results some day, but a service that will define the marketplace for years to come. A recent Evolve IP survey of more than 1,250 corporate decision-makers discovered 88 percent asserted IT's future is within a cloud environment.

Some executives are even more confident in cloud computing than others included in the poll. Seventy percent of C-level decision-makers, IT directors and vice presidents call themselves "cloud believers," compared to 58 percent of IT managers who classify themselves similarly. Although the percentage of the second group of participants is lower, it still marks a 5 percent increase from 2013.

Businesses included in the study have an average of 2.7 cloud services in place, while cloud believers rely on an average 3.3 solutions. Although some executives fall under the "unconvinced" and "unbelievers" categories, 54 percent of these respondents still expect to implement at least one cloud environment by 2017.

Some of the more popular uses of cloud computing include disaster recovery. Nearly three-quarters of respondents listed this capability as the primary advantage of cloud solutions, with half of cloud adopters improving their business continuity efforts since implementing the technology.

In the next three years, 34 percent expect to adopt cloud-based servers and data centers, 22 percent will do the same regarding backup and phone systems, 21.5 percent will launch Microsoft Office suites and 21 percent will implement Microsoft Exchange tools.

Microsoft increasing its role in cloud landscape
Companies planning a cloud implementation will likely come across Microsoft solutions when comparing the best services available on the market. Evolve IP found adoption rates of Office, Lync and Exchange experienced growth rates of 63 percent, 53 percent and roughly 22 percent in 2013, respectively.

Office and Exchange are expected to remain among the top five cloud solutions available through 2017.

Microsoft products have a key advantage compared to other solutions because they work in unison with one another, delivering a cohesive experience across a variety of devices. Office 365 is a cloud-based productivity suite that promotes the vendor's "cloud first, mobile first" business strategy. Employees, regardless of physical location, can use their PCs, tablets and even smartphones to access programs such as Word, Lync, SharePoint and plenty of others to remain productive anywhere at any time.

Some firms seeking partnerships to get cloud migration right
Some organizations have just dipped their toes into the cloud waters and are looking for partners to help them achieve a successful implementation.

"This year's survey reinforces last year's data with a few major changes," explained Guy Fardone, general manager and chief operating officer of Evolve IP. "We continue to see across the board drops in barriers to moving to the cloud and more support from IT managers as they have become more aligned with business executives. Also, as we have seen in our business, companies looking to move to the cloud on their own are experiencing some hiccups along the way."

Fardone added nearly 25 percent of companies will enlist the help of third-party vendors for their next cloud migration.

Organizations that do not want to partner with multiple service providers for their separate IT needs can receive support for their entire infrastructure from one place. At Beringer Associates, we are a leading vendor in a number of mission-critical areas including disaster recovery, cloud computing and Microsoft products like Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

We provide personalized services to each and every firm because we understand companies are different. Our team of IT professionals analyze an organization's infrastructure, operational goals and employee preferences to craft an implementation roadmap that will deliver a return on investment and productive solutions that always maintain operational efficiency.

If your company wants to not only achieve a successful cloud implementation, but also leverage the technology for years to come, contact Beringer Associates today. We have been helping clients address all their IT goals for more than 20 years. What's more is that we are a Microsoft Certified Partner, so your business will receive the most up-to-date support for any Microsoft products.


theProfessor

theProfessor

Rob is the CTO of Beringer Technology Group, and focuses his efforts on software development, cloud engineering, team mentoring and strategic technical direction. Rob has worked with Beringer since 2005, and has influenced every department from Development, Security, Implementation, Support and Sales. Rob graduated with his MBA from Rowan University in 2012, earned his Bachelors of Computer Science in 1997, and is current with several Microsoft technical certifications. Rob is very active, and loves to mountain bike, weight train, cook and hike with his dog pack.