Survey: More businesses move toward the cloud, still have reservations

Change is not always easy, and the business world is no different. With more companies becoming dependent on cloud computing and beginning to integrate mobile devices, it is crucial that an organization has a strong IT support system. Otherwise, it will be difficult to assure employees and customers that their data is secure.

A recent Ponemon study found that of 4,205 business and IT managers surveyed, 53 percent said that they have started sending sensitive data to the cloud. Even so, 35 percent of respondents said their firm's security exposure was worse as a result.

Richard Moulds, vice president of encryption key management company Thales e-Security, explained in a report released with the study that security issues need to be a top concern as companies move toward the cloud. However, businesses must also keep tabs on their encryption capabilities, as having security measures is useless if the encryption is flawed.

"It isn't about how well your door lock works," he said. "If you've got your key under a flowerpot on the front doorstep, there's not much point."

Another study completed in the U.K. found that 59 percent of CIOs and IT leaders say that enabling alignment of business and IT strategies using cloud infrastructure is their number one priority. Furthermore, 60 percent of respondents fear that migration could fail, as not all providers understand how complex information communications technology can be.

A Forbes article explained that even though this study was in the U.K. the results can apply to U.S.-based businesses as well.

By partnering with an IT company that specializes in cloud services and managed IT support, businesses can make a smooth transition into using technological innovations on a daily basis.

From our offices in Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, PRO OnCall is your single-source technology consulting service, offering managed IT support, unified communications solutions and on-call IT support.