Clarity and truth on some cloud computing myths

A lot has been said and written about cloud computing. Some is true, and some is not. Here we help to provide clarity about the subject by dispelling 5 myths about the cloud.

Myth 1: The cloud is insecure

The myth persists that the cloud is somehow insecure. In fact, the cloud is more secure because security measures in place at properly secured cloud data centres exceed those found in the vast majority of ordinary business premises.

A good Managed Services Provider (MSP) for cloud services demonstrates an exemplary approach to security:

• Security Standards
  Data centres accredited to standards such as PCI DSS, ISO 9000 and IS0 27001 and ISAE
  
• Physical Security
  24 x 7 Security Guards, CCTV, Access Control
  
• A layered approach to network security
  Intrusion detection, dedicated firewalls and all data, whether stored or in transmission is typically encrypted using 256bit encryption
  
• Redundancy and backup
  Another dimension is securing against loss due to systems failure to ensure Business Continuity (BC); data is stored in multiple datacentres and if any particular component fails, or a whole datacentre fails, services continue to operate as normal. RTO and RPO times can be very low

Myth 2: You don’t know where your data is

Data in the cloud may be stored anywhere in the world connected to the internet and this creates uncertainty over data sovereignty and the laws of which nation or regional authority govern security, privacy and disclosure. This is a myth.

The wrangle over Safe Harbour seems settled now that Privacy Shield is in place. But does this really protect EU citizen’s data from scrutiny on demand by US authorities?

To counter this and ensure that UK business data remains governed by UK and EU law, some MSPs choose to restrict data storage to UK only data centres, eliminating any data sovereignty issues. 

Myth 3: The cloud is energy inefficient and bad for the environment

The assumption that cloud concentrates computing resource in large data centres that are energy-hungry and inefficient is a myth.

In fact, it is likely that economy of scale means the cloud is perhaps the greenest form of computing because data centres need to be ISO 140001 compliant. Many offer green tariffs or carbon-neutral systems.

Evaluated across cooling, lighting and maintenance, the cloud uses approximately half as much energy as distributing equivalent computing power across individual organisations in on-premise datacentres and server rooms. 

Thin Clients which are the desktop devices for accessing hosted desktop cloud computing solutions save up to 90% of electricity consumption, shrinking bills for office computing.

Myth 4: It costs many thousands for cloud migration services

The more data, users and sophistication you have, the more time it takes to set up, copy data and move users across to cloud infrastructure. This front-loads the cost of migration to the cloud and negates one of the key advantages - much reduced or even zero up-front costs. This is all a myth.

The lifetime value of a cloud customer subscribing to a hosted desktop or private cloud solution is significant and offsets the cost of the initial set up. It is very likely that all MSPs could adopt this position, but most take a very short term view. It’s a good idea to clarify whether migration services are charged or provided without extra charge when evaluating costs from different MSPs.

Myth 5: The cloud costs IT Managers their jobs

There is an assumption that outsourcing IT to cloud MSPs eliminates the need for IT managers and internal tech expertise. It’s a myth and perhaps one of the most damaging - it prevents some companies from getting the benefits because it immediately makes internal IT decision-makers and influencers fearful for their jobs.

Shifting administration, support, maintenance and upgrades to a MSP frees the IT manager or in-house team from firefighting and enables the focus to shift to more strategic issues. 

Cloud computing lets IT managers be:

• More strategic - Concentrate on research, planning and development matters to formulate the mid to long-term technology plan for the firm
• More customer-facing - Deliver more value to the business by adopting a customer-facing role where appropriate
• More high level - Operate at a higher level and have time to acquire expert knowledge and skills essential to the success of the business

Get clarity on the myths stopping you taking advantage with HTL Support

For independent advice on how to exploit the advantages of the cloud, simply get in touch today. HTL Support is an ISO 27001 accredited company, and all our cloud solutions are in compliance with this internationally recognised standard for information security.

To provide our clients with peace of mind we invite you to visit and inspect our data centres.

Click here to read our guide '7 reasons why it's time to move to the cloud'.

Click here to download our Hosted Desktop Migration in 1 Week Guide.