Integration Remains Top Executive Concern About Cloud Computing

Data Integration Remains a Major IT Headache

Study shows that data integration is still costly and requires a lot of manual coding.

You want to convince corporate America the cloud is a good idea? Address their anxieties about integration.

A recent IDC study found that executives are softening on their fears about the public cloud, but integration remains a major worry point for enterprise leaders:

• 52 percent said integration between the cloud providers is “very important.”
• 14 percent said it was extremely important.
• 48 percent rated integration, along with data security, automation, orchestration of applications between private and public cloud with on-premise IT as “very high.”

The survey, which was sponsored by Infosys, queried 326 executives in the UK, U.S., France and Germany. It’s possible integration made the top of the list because of where this particular group stands with cloud adoption: 69 percent of them had already started in private cloud and 40 percent said they are now moving to public or hybrid clouds.

It makes sense that integration would be foremost on their minds as they look to expand their use of cloud resources.

In the past, there have been questions about how cloud would impact systems integrators.

The report provides further support that integration service providers may actually benefit, finding that 56 percent are engaging or considering engaging an external service provider to help them with cloud adoption.

Forbes offered a nice write-up of the survey, and the Sacramento Bee published Infosys’ press release on it. You can register with Infosys to receive the full IDC report by email for free by providing the typical user information, although I must say, I filled out the form and did not receive the report, so be forewarned that something may be up with the download process.