Common Myths Surrounding The Cloud

About a month ago, we shared an article that discussed several misconceptions the public has about cloud computing.  This article, Is Your Head in the Clouds, examined the results of a national survey that questioned participants about their knowledge of the cloud.  Survey responses ranged from amusing (beliefs that the weather affects cloud computing) to insightful (feeling that the cloud is the “workplace of the future”.)  While looking at the beliefs and feelings of the general pubic in regards to cloud computing can be informative, there are also misconceptions about the cloud that are prevalent among IT professionals and other business leaders.  Today we are going to talk about three of the most prominent myths surrounding cloud computing and explore why these myths are not true.

Myth #1 – Cloud Computing is Not Secure

The question of security seems to be the prevalent myth surrounding cloud computing.  While a security breach or “hack” of large proportion will make big headlines, these types of occurrences usually happen with consumer based products (think Gmail, for instance) and these hacks are extremely rare.  When you are looking at enterprise level products and services, you are going to find that the security measures employed by cloud vendors at this level are airtight.  Time and time again, research has shown that cloud computing service providers generally have a higher level of security than what most companies, especially small to medium sized businesses, have for on-premises systems.  While you should definitely investigate the security measures your cloud vendor chooses, the question of data vulnerability and privacy should not be a cause for your business to disregard cloud computing.

Myth #2 – Cloud Applications are Not Customizable

Very rarely can a company select a business management system – cloud based or otherwise – and use it 100% as-is out of the box.  In other words, applications often need to be adjusted or customized to suit the varying needs of each particular business.  Many professionals mistakenly believe that cloud based applications are not customizable.  This is another myth that is simply not true.  In an article for Information Week Software, Doug Henschen describes NetSuite’s customizability as an example: 

“NetSuite, which offers a suite of ERP, e-commerce, order management, asset management, inventory tracking and CRM applications in the cloud, provides SuiteBuilder customization tools and a SuiteFlow workflow engine. Here again you're working within the framework of the native application, so your customizations won't break when there's an upgrade.”

Myth #3 – Cloud Computing is Not Suitable for Mission Critical Activities

The last myth we are going to discuss was included as part of an interesting article posted on the NetSuite blog.  In Cloud Computing: Debunking the Myths, NetSuite talks about how more and more high profile companies are running their businesses entirely on a cloud based platform.  Companies such as Google, Amazon, Netflix, and Groupon have found the cloud the perfect place for their businesses to thrive.  Given that these companies have chosen the cloud to run their businesses, it is safe to assume that cloud computing is well equipped to handle mission critical business activities.

If you have written off cloud computing based on one of the myths mentioned above, we suggest you take another look.  Investigate the validity of these or other concerns you may have before deciding that cloud computing is not a good business solution for your company.