Hybrid approach to cloud best option, says Unisys

Peter Dinham
Wednesday, 07 December 2011 16:40

Unisys reckons companies getting into cloud computing for the first time should take a hybrid enterprise approach and integrate the cloud solution with existing IT resources.  The sales pitch from the IT services vendor comes on the back of a new poll, with enterprises indicating cloud computing is their top IT investment priority next year.

Unisys vice president, data centre services and solutions, Colin Lacey, says the company's online poll found that 50 percent of enterprises have the cloud as their primary investment priority for the second straight year. In last year's poll 44 percent of 262 respondents said that cloud computing topped their IT priority list for 2011.

'Over the past two years cloud computing has moved into the mainstream of IT investment decisions. From the US Federal Government's 'cloud first' policy to enterprise business units' demands for greater IT responsiveness, business decision makers are embracing both private and public cloud computing models.

'They now see the cloud as a vital way to obtain IT services that enable them to provide solutions for clients and deliver competitive products to market quickly and cost-efficiently,' Lacey said.

In responses to this year's poll, taken in September and October, enterprises listed other priorities for next year as cybersecurity (21 percent), mobile/social computing (21 percent) and big data (8 percent).

Lacey says that Unisys advises clients interested in cloud to take a hybrid enterprise approach, integrating the cloud solution with existing IT resources and managing the integrated environment as a single entity.

'By doing so, they can preserve and capitalise on existing IT investments while avoiding 'cloud in the corner'  syndrome, where new cloud-based solutions are disconnected from existing IT resources, resulting in duplication of processes and higher operating costs.'