The 3 reasons CIOs have become cloud-first | Computing

CIOs are increasingly assured that a cloud-first strategy is the way to go. Analyst firm Gartner says global spending on public cloud services will grow 21.4 percent through 2018 to total $186.4 billion, up from $153.5 billion in 2017.

So, why are CIOs choosing to push as workloads in the cloud? There are three reasons that make the cloud attractive—and not one of them is cost.

Reason No. 1: Better holistic security

I'm sure this causes some heads to spin. How can there be better security in the public cloud than in your own data center?

Security is a function of the security professionals' talent, those who lock down workloads and data, whether in the cloud or not. However, these days the security services found in public clouds are more advanced than what many enterprises can afford on premises, and it's much easier to implement. That's why security is typically better in the public cloud.

Reason No. 2: The cloud is now politically correct

Just a few years ago, the mere mention of putting workloads in a public cloud was practically like punching a coworker in the face.

Those days are over. Now you're considered out of touch if you don't at least consider cloud computing.

Reason No. 3: The success of others

CIOs tend to move in packs, despite the fact that they work for different companies. Many stories appeared in the tech press over the last few years about how cloud computing transformed this or that company, even if the stories sometimes were spun a bit more positively than they should have been.

Much like the rise of the PC in the 1980s, networking in the 1990s, and the web a bit later, the tech industry continues to build bandwagons and CIOs continue to jump on board. Obviously, they want to do the right thing for their company, but following the hot new technology can also be a career enhancer.

Cost is not a primary reason

Notice that cost is not the primary driver for CIOs' move to cloud computing. Indeed, most CIOs don't consider cost, even though there is typically a cost advantage to using cloud computing.

When it comes to CIOs, I guess the trend is your friend and it's better to follow the crowd. At least this time, it's a valid direction.