IT Managers should know the disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Truly, there’s no perfection when it comes to technology development. Starting from the design stages to when it is claimed ready to be used by the end-users. I’m not surprised because people put their brains together to implement the design. Have you ever considered why your calls dropped when having a good conversation with love ones or business partners, even when your bandwidth is fantastic yet you experience down-time, purchased licensed applications and you don’t get to enjoy the full features? These are one of the reasons why IT managers should not be too excited over cloud computing. The design and features could be so brilliant but have you thought of the bottle-necks when the chips are down?
Some business owners and public organization are thinking very fast in cutting down the cost of hiring, purchasing, managing IT gadgets but the truth remains relying so much on cheaper gadgets
could force you out of business.
Permit me to list some of the disadvantages of cloud computing:
a.    Possible down time
b.    Security issues
c.    Cost at first glance
d.    Inflexibility
e.    And lack of support


1) Possible downtime. Cloud computing makes your small business dependent on the reliability of your Internet connection. When it's offline, you're offline. If your internet service suffers from frequent outages or slow speeds cloud computing may not be suitable for your business. And even the most reliable cloud computing service providers suffer server outages now and again. (See The 10 Biggest Cloud Outages of 2013.)

2) Security issues. How safe is your data? Cloud computing means Internet computing. So you should not be using cloud computing applications that involve using or storing data that you are not comfortable having on the Internet. Established cloud computing vendors have gone to great lengths to promote the idea that they have the latest, most sophisticated data security systems possible as they want your business and realize that data security is a big concern; however, their credibility in this regard has suffered greatly in the wake of the recent NSA snooping scandals.

Keep in mind also that your cloud data is accessible from anywhere on the internet, meaning that if a data breach occurs via hacking, a disgruntled employee, or careless username/password security, your business data can be compromised.

Leaving aside revelations about the NSA, switching to the cloud can actually improve security for a small business, says Michael Redding, managing director of Accenture Technology Labs. "Because large cloud computing companies have more resources, he says, they are often able to offer levels of security an average small business may not be able to afford implementing on its own servers" (Outsource IT Headaches to the Cloud (The Globe and Mail).

3) Cost. At first glance, a cloud computing application may appear to be a lot cheaper than a particular software solution installed and run in-house, but you need to be sure you're comparing apples and apples. Does the cloud application have all the features that the software does and if not, are the missing features important to you?

You also need to be sure you are doing a total cost comparison. While many cloud computer vendors present themselves as utility-based providers, claiming that you're only charged for what you use, Gartner says that this isn't true; in most cases, a company must commit to a predetermined contract independent of actual use. To be sure you're saving money, you have to look closely at the pricing plans and details for each application.

In the same article, Gartner also points out that the cost savings of cloud computing primarily occur when a business first starts using it. SaaS (Software as a Service) applications, Gartner says, will have lower total cost of ownership for the first two years because SaaS applications do not require large capital investment for licenses or support infrastructure. After that, the on-premises option can become the cost-savings winner from an accounting perspective as the capital assets involved depreciate.

Cloud computing costs are constantly changing, so check current pricing.

4) Inflexibility. Be careful when you're choosing a cloud computing vendor that you're not locking your business into using their proprietary applications or formats. You can't insert a document created in another application into a Google Docs spreadsheet, for instance. Also make sure that you can add and subtract cloud computing users as necessary as your business grows or contracts.

5) Lack of support. In These Issues Need to be Resolved Before Cloud Computing Becomes Ubiquitous, (OPEN Forum) Anita Campbell writes, "Customer service for Web apps leaves a lot to be desired -- All too many cloud-based apps make it difficult to get customer service promptly – or at all. Sending an email and hoping for a response within 48 hours is not an acceptable way for most of us to run a business".

The New York Times puts it this way: "The bottom line: If you need handholding or if you are not comfortable trying to find advice on user forums, the cloud probably is not ideal" Thinking About Moving to the Cloud? There Are Trade-Offs.
Bottom Line: Cloud According to Your Comfort Level

In my opinion, cloud computing is a great opportunity for small businesses to off-load the hassle and costs of IT management – as long as they can live with the disadvantages. Security issues related to having their business data 'out' on the Internet seem to be the number one concern of small business owners.

One approach might be to start cloud computing slowly; choose one or two of your business applications to replace and see how it goes. Hopefully over time you'll become more comfortable with it and able to reap even more cloud computing advantages.

By Pius Ernest Ehimare