Security is main cloud computing issue

Security is main cloud computing issue

Data security and a demonstrable return on investment are the two main issues concerning businesses when it comes to cloud computing migration.

This is according to the results of a recent study conducted by Juniper Research. The survey also found, however, that cloud-based services - such as IP communications, managed email, collaboration and conferencing - are all helping to ensure customer retention.

But with regards to the security issue, the paper cautioned the importance of secure access in order to prevent third parties from accessing, amending or stealing information. However, secure storage is also a serious factor to consider with regards to the possibility of the data hosting company losing data. Report author Dr Windsor Holden advised: “If an enterprise makes the decision to store data in the cloud, it is imperative that a solution is in place that can dynamically tag and sort that data to determine which data can go to the cloud and which individuals are permitted to have access to that data.”

Meanwhile, improvement to data redundancy and ensuring that companies are aware of the physical location of the servers storing their data can help when assessing the benefits of moving to the cloud. Companies who do not take steps to ensure that data redundancy is improved face severe problems from data outages, the report advised.

While the advantages and issues surrounding cloud computing remain under continuous discussion, an increasing number of companies are being drawn to their services. The Juniper report found that annual revenues derived from mobile cloud-based enterprise services are expected to reach $39 billion by 2016. This is due to the fact that mobile network operators are increasingly offering a range of unified communications suites to corporate clients.

Furthermore, a significant proportion of these revenues actually represent a migration of enterprise spend from traditional offerings.

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.