Gartner: Cloud-based bypassed for own IT infrastructure
Cloud-based offerings are still not seen as the first port of call for CIOs deciding on IT project spends, with many companies too focused on their own – often legacy – infrastructure, a recent report from Gartner concludes. New generation technologies are too not being taken seriously, with the short term outlook of CIOs holding back long term engagement.
In a recent report, titled ‘Flipping to Digital Leadership: The 2015 CIO Agenda’, information technology research and consulting firm Gartner explores the uptake of cloud in relation to the continued use of existing infrastructure. For the report, the firm surveyed 2,800 CIOs (Chief Information Officers) that accounted for $397 billion of IT spending and $202.5 billion of infrastructure and operations (I&O) spending.
Under clouds
The survey discloses that cloud-based solutions are not considered for software-as-a-service (SaaS) projects by 9% of by CIOs, with the lack of consideration increasing to 15% for infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) projects. Nearly half of those surveyed do however now consider cloud as a viable option. “The survey results show that, for most CIOs, public cloud is an option for projects, but only a first consideration for a small minority,” comments Dave Russell, Vice President and analyst at Gartner. “I&O leaders have been more protective of their existing infrastructure and, in many cases, have been the biggest obstacle to cloud-based solutions, often resorting to cloud-washing as an excuse to not seriously pursue a true cloud-based solution. Instead, I&O leaders should institute a ‘cloud-first’ consideration for every project on an application-by-application basis.”
Mobile on the rise
Mobile demand, from both internal as external customers, is garnering considerable attention with CIOs, with a need to consider ways forward that prioritise new system designs and skill priorities to meet mobile technology. The survey highlights that mobile devices are now the primary or secondary interface for a significant number of IT investments, with 71% of CIOs suggesting an increasing need for context-aware services. Which, according to Gartner, means that mobility must become be a top concern for I&O leaders in system design: services should not just be made available on mobile devices; they should be made specifically for those devices.
Next generation bottlenecks
The survey also highlights that mobile, social, cloud and big data (Nexus of Forces) are already being actively engaged by I&Os and many are starting to think and even actively pursue — post-nexus technologies. These include Internet of Things (IoT), thinking machines, augmented human, 3D printing and robotics. However, many CIOs are “stuck thinking about now, rather than the future”, with that 84% of CIOs focused on the near term of three years or sooner. According to Gartner, they lack the vision necessary to develop or implement the new technology, which will require IT talent, leadership and integration skills.
