DevOps is driving the move to cloud-first businesses
New research from cloud business management specialist ServiceNow indicates that enterprise cloud services have reached a tipping point, with 52 percent of respondents saying they would select cloud as the platform of choice for new business applications.
In addition 85 percent say they now are headed towards a cloud-first footing, with almost nine out of 10 saying they will complete the shift within two years.
"For years pundits have waited for an enterprise shift from traditional data center computing to cloud computing," says Dave Wright, chief strategy officer at ServiceNow. "Today reality meets hype, and cloud-first consumption will accelerate at a breakneck speed in the next two years".
Moving to the cloud sees a change in role for the IT department and a need for different skills. Of companies who have completed the shift to a cloud-first model 89 percent say their current IT staff lack the required skill sets to be successful in the new cloud world. Also 88 percent feel the cloud could be a replacement for a formal IT department at least some of the time. However, 72 percent say the cloud shift has actually raised IT's relevancy to the business with 68 percent saying the IT role will be completely essential in the future.
DevOps clearly plays a part in driving the shift with 76 percent identifying it as a major factor in moving to the cloud. 94 percent of respondents say they're involved in some way with the DevOps movement and 58 either have or are implementing it in their organizations.
"Cloud is not new, so why was 2016 the year enterprises became cloud-first? According to the survey, the answer is the rise of DevOps," adds Wright. "DevOps saw early that cloud computing could solve many of the issues they were grappling with. And DevOps's 'can do' vibe -- enabled by cloud -- is extending across the enterprise".
More on the findings can be found in the full report available from the ServiceNow website.
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