Heading for the Clouds: Implications for Cloud Computing Adopters

Cloud computing projects have many implications, including issues such as security, compliance, funding, cohesion with existing systems, operational resource requirements, and number of employees involved. In order to gain a better understanding of why businesses are interested in adopting cloud services in spite of these potential difficulties, we interviewed senior IT personnel at five different organizations about their processes related to cloud decisions, their thoughts before and during the process, and the outcome of their endeavor. Our results provide insights from their perspectives into the similarities and differences among the organizations and the implications of going into the cloud. We conclude with a list of recommended questions and areas to consider for use by other organizations looking into adopting cloud services. The ultimate goal is to help businesses considering a cloud computing project by providing advice from other organizations based on their experience.