UK falls behind in cloud computing adoption
UK falls behind in cloud computing adoption
British business are lagging behind their overseas counterparts when it comes to adopting cloud computing technology, according to a global study.
Around 36 per cent have started using the cloud in the last two years but 22 per cent said they had not adopted it. That compares to around 14 per cent worldwide that have not used it, the report by WideAngle NTT Com Security, a security and risk business, said.
The study found that issues with regulation and data protection were the main reasons British businesses were slower to adopt the cloud. The less enthusiastic cloud take-up was concentrated on sectors which have to comply with numerous regulations, such as the healthcare, financial services and petrochemicals industries.
Garry Sidaway, from WideAngle, told Computer Weekly: “Cloud is a well-established and maturing technology, but levels of adoption still vary across different geographies. With increasingly complex data laws in the UK, it has become something of a minefield for businesses looking to become more agile and efficient using cloud, but perhaps feeling they are being held back.”
There are concerns that UK firms now risk being left behind because they are not fully exploiting the opportunities of the technology. More than four in 10 UK respondents said they planned to transfer their data and services to the cloud over the next two years, but three in 10 said they would not make the move at all.
But of those that have adopted cloud computing, four in 10 said their revenues had increased and they had seen an increase in profits.
The report classified cloud users into five groups – controllers, accepters, experimenters, believers and embracers. Embracers were the most enthusiastic adopters of the technology. The US was most enthusiastic about the cloud, followed by Germany. Mr Sidaway said most UK firms fell into the controller and accepter categories.
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.
