Cloud Security and Privacy

Chapter 11. The Impact of Cloud Computing on the Role of Corporate IT

Cloud computing has the potential to be the next disruptive technology with consequence of significant change. Depending on the perspective and situation of the organization or the individual, this represents both opportunity and crisis. Such change may be resisted, even if it is a good idea and it works.

The role of the corporate IT department will be impacted significantly by a company’s adoption of cloud computing. The degree of change will relate to the current approach to IT governance and management, and to the level and speed of adoption.

What are the driving forces and resisting forces that will drive adoption, and which is stronger? In this simplistic analysis, the driving forces need to outweigh the resistance to make individuals and organizations adopt the cloud as the enabling technology platform of the next decade or so. Understanding the driving forces to maximize benefit and the way resistance is managed will impact the speed of adoption and the ultimate role that corporate IT professionals perform. In this chapter we discuss:

• Driving forces for adopting the cloud

• Resisting forces to maintain the status quo

• How cloud computing will affect the role of IT

Why Cloud Computing Will Be Popular with Business Units

There are a number of reasons why business units will see cloud computing as an alternative way of using information technology. These reasons may well change the role of IT in the near future, and ...