Businesses warned to beware of 'cloud washing'

Businesses warned to beware of 'cloud washing'

Businesses looking to use cloud computing applications are being warned about a phenomenon known as ‘cloud washing’.

Cloud washing is basically rebranding older IT systems and products as cloud applications when they don’t meet the full criteria of genuine cloud computing, CRN reported.

According to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, to be classed as a cloud system, applications must provide broad network access, on-demand self and measured services, resource sharing and elasticity. The definition covers PaaS, SaaS and IaaS and says genuine cloud applications are delivered by private, public, community or hybrid clouds.

A recent survey by datacentre company Six Degrees revealed that almost half of those making business IT decisions believed cloud washing was a problem and more than eight in 10 want cloud providers to do more to explain their products and services.

Although buyers are asking the right questions when looking at cloud applications for business, there are concerns that they are not being provided with the full picture. For example, buyers are not always aware of which company is behind the service they are buying or where the hosted data will be based. The location remains a key issue after last year’s US NSA spying scandal, according to industry groups.

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) has a code of practice for member companies which aims to boost users’ trust in the cloud. It includes publishing details of where the data is hosted.

CIF chief executive, Andy Burton, said: "We are trying to ensure there is a genuine commitment to transparency from the executives of the company and that it's all being explained in a common language so a relative novice can compare between one service and another.”

Businesses looking to move services into the cloud, should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.