Data centres are 'critical' for Cloud Services delivery

According to the report, entitled “‘Managing Growth, Risk & the Cloud”, when evaluating a potential cloud services provider, only 38% of companies visit the data center facility that will host the infrastructure as part of the due diligence process. In fact, less than half (46%) of the respondents said they would meet the team who would manage the data and whilst 44% would examine the operator’s track record only 43% said they would obtain the specification of the data center. Disappointingly, only a third (36%) were prepared to dig a little deeper and check the vendor’s credit history as well as seeking testimonials from its customers. Asking if the data center is managed by a third party was a question posed by just 33%.

This lack of evaluation does not bode well with the growing volumes of information that are fuelling the migration of corporate data to the cloud. In this survey alone, 71% of the IT professionals questioned said they are planning to use cloud services to manage the levels of data growth that they are experiencing. In addition, of those respondents that already store data in the cloud, 83% will continue to use these services which means the pressure on data centers to ensure systems continue to run at optimum levels is also much higher.

“Considering the value that companies today put on their data, these figures surprise me,” said Franek Sodzawiczny, CEO & Founder of Zenium Technology Partners. “Essentially companies are gambling with their most valuable asset – information. Cloud services are obviously no longer an unknown quantity and adoption levels are increasing year on year but, no matter how reputable the provider, if the data center facility underpinning the cloud isn’t up to scratch then the whole chain is at risk of coming crashing down.”

The research report also clearly indicates that vendor reputation and successful adoption of the Cloud is not entirely left to chance but gaps in the evaluation process do remain. A staggering 98% only do one of the checks outlined above, and just 5% carry out all five.

That said, it was interesting to note that those who use private cloud solutions are marginally more probing when it comes to evaluating cloud services providers, compared to those who use public or hybrid clouds. Comparing the assessment process across industry sectors, it also appears that financial services companies carry out a more comprehensive set of checks compared to public or not-for-profit organisations.

“The Cloud will continue to be successful as a viable solution for managing growth if those using it remain confident that it is secure, and risk-free,” continued Sodzawiczny. “We would recommend that Cloud users carry out on their own due diligence on the complete supply chain providing these services. What’s needed is a more careful evaluation of the physical infrastructure at the core – the data center. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and data centers are a fundamental component of the overall strength of the Cloud.”