Ashish Gupta, senior VP and head of HCL Technologies’ infrastructure services division, explains why greater cloud adoption could result in more collaborative practices

Does every cloud really have a silver lining? Perhaps not, if you speak to UK enterprises. According to recent studies, UK–based organisations are lagging behind other markets when it comes to the adoption of cloud computing services.

Only a few years ago, leading analysts and technology experts were convinced that by 2013, cloud computing would be a non-negotiable time and money saver. The common perception at the time was that cloud would be as pervasive as electricity and personal computers in the modern business, and that organisations would be falling over themselves to implement it. So what’s gone wrong?

It’s clear that the benefits cloud computing can provide are well understood and appreciated by UK organisations. Indeed, a study conducted by research firm OnePoll on behalf of HCL Technologies found that of 250 IT managers surveyed, a staggering 95 per cent of those who had embraced cloud computing found that it enabled them to work more collaboratively and efficiently. In addition to this, 63 per cent of cloud users said that it allowed them to more easily store data, while a third (35 per cent) said that it allowed them to communicate more easily without being inundated by email.

Tellingly – and perhaps a little alarmingly – the same survey also showed that although existing cloud users have reaped the benefits of the increased collaboration that it can provide, many still view it as a risk that they cannot afford to take. More than a third of IT managers surveyed (38 per cent) that had yet to implement cloud solutions said that they were reluctant to because they felt it is too unproven as a technology to be risked.

What this tells us is that there is a marked difference between people’s perceptions of cloud computing and the reality. We’ve all heard horror stories about new, so-called ‘fad’ technologies that ultimately prove to be unreliable, or, worse still, completely disastrous. What those who are reluctant to take the leap of faith need to understand is that cloud computing is no longer the unproven, risky investment that many initially considered it to be.

Today, cloud computing is one of the most important trends in the industry and one that is significantly changing the way that businesses are run. The figures show that cloud services have matured to the extent that they allow businesses to behave in a collaborative way, and to share resources and information much more efficiently. It’s clear that those who have taken the cloud computing plunge have experienced this, but if the dream of widespread cloud usage is to become a reality, perhaps more organisations need to join them in removing the cloud shackles and exploring it as a way to deliver value?