Business Owners and IT Departments Need to Agree on a Cloud Solution

Cloud computing is everywhere, yet there are still plenty of businesses that haven’t migrated to the cloud or adopted cloud services. In many cases, this is due to business owners and IT departments not being on the same page when it comes to cloud computing.

It’s common for business owners to be sold on some big promises about the cloud, as presented by marketing materials that stress value and ROI. IT administrators might not be so anxious to migrate to the cloud; due to the fact that, from their point of view, the cloud represents major changes to their IT infrastructure. Granted, there are cases where the reverse scenario is true, and there are other reasons why a business may be hesitant to adopt cloud computing, but for the sake of this article, let’s elaborate further on the business owner being pro-cloud while facing resistance from their IT department.

Cloud Computing Benefits Sold to Business Owners
For a business owner looking to leverage technology in order to streamline operations and gain a competitive edge, the benefits of cloud computing are very attractive. According to InformationWeek, here are three of the top cloud benefits that have business owners rapidly adopting the technology:

• Business leaders see improved speed to market.
• The ability to rent instead of own, especially as things relate to new ventures that might not be permanent.
• The ability to rent infrequently used assets (like those for disaster recovery).

Notice that none of these points are technical in nature. Business owners are primarily concerned about the end result, i.e., how technology can bolster their bottom line. To that end, cloud computing enhances a company’s budget by freeing up capital. The wise business owner sees technology like the cloud as an opportunity to divert resources that will fund money-making initiatives.

Why IT Departments May Be Hesitant to Switch to Cloud Computing
A company’s IT administrator may have a completely different perspective about the cloud. To them, adopting cloud computing represents potentially major changes to their IT infrastructure, as well as less control. The fact of the matter is that not everyone is excited about change, especially technically-minded individuals who aren’t responsible for managing the big picture. InformationWeek goes on to explain the point of view from a hesitant IT technician:

• Self preservation: "Why should I support something that's going to put me out of a job?" Developers obviously don't feel this way. But folks responsible for racking-and-stacking? Of course they feel threatened by work being done in an Amazon or Google data center.
• Span of control: Being responsible for outsourced infrastructure makes people feel like they're getting in trouble for someone else's mistake when that infrastructure is unavailable.
• Disbelief: The line of thinking here is, "This is just a fad, it's not really going to help us, and we'll go to a lot of trouble for nothing."

Whether migrating a few mission-critical applications over to the cloud, or your entire IT infrastructure, cloud computing represents some level of change for your business. Therefore, the best way for organizations to adopt the cloud is for business owners, IT departments, and everyone else affected by the change to be on the same page.

This is where Directive’s unique perspective regarding cloud computing can help. As a small business ourselves, we understand the cost-analysis side of implementing new technologies. Additionally, as an IT company, we relate to the technical pain points that IT departments may have regarding cloud computing. For help unifying your company around the benefits of cloud computing, reach out to us at 607.433.2200.