Only 18% of IT Professionals Satisfied with Cloud: Study

A new study from SolarWinds has revealed that only 18% of IT professionals believe their current cloud infrastructure meets business needs, highlighting a significant gap between expectations and reality in cloud adoption. The survey, which included 272 IT professionals globally, underscores mixed outcomes for many organizations as they transition to the cloud.

Despite the cloud’s promises of scalability and cost efficiency, just 25% of respondents feel their cloud strategy is well-considered and effective. Additionally, 23% acknowledge that their hybrid cloud strategy has led to overly complex IT environments. However, less than a quarter (22%) have sought external IT services to aid their cloud migration.

The research also sheds light on the consequences of poorly executed cloud strategies. More than 16% of respondents have moved workloads back on-premises, while 12% have faced long-term financial impacts due to mismanaged cloud transitions, showing the costly repercussions of hasty migrations.

Security concerns remain a significant issue, with 46% of IT professionals storing sensitive data on-premises due to ongoing trust issues with cloud security. Nevertheless, cloud migration remains a priority for many, with 29% of respondents aiming to migrate to the cloud in order to reduce operational costs.

Sascha Giese, Global Tech Evangelist at SolarWinds, commented on the findings, stating, “Managing complex hybrid-cloud ecosystems is challenging. While the cloud offers scalability and cost savings, the reality often falls short of expectations, leaving businesses with complicated infrastructures that fail to meet their needs.”

In the face of these challenges, organizations must adopt a strategic and informed approach to cloud migration, focusing on reliable, secure tools and gaining comprehensive visibility into their IT estate. According to Giese, real-time observability and AI-driven analytics can help businesses navigate hybrid cloud environments and unlock the potential of cloud infrastructure without the risk of mismatched tools and poor visibility.

For businesses to succeed in a hybrid cloud world, careful planning and modernization are essential to avoid the pitfalls of complexity and unanticipated costs.