Host Of Reasons Still Holding Public Sector Cloud Back, Says Study

Just 2% of public sector IT managers see their sector as highly pro-cloud, according to research by UK cloud services provider Redcentric. 

Its research also suggests that the public sector’s tentativeness in adopting the cloud could be due to not fully understanding the benefits it can deliver. The public sector’s most common approach to cloud adoption, cited by 40%, was using standardised ‘off the shelf’ services offered by cloud providers, compared to around half of private sector respondents saying that they prefer tailor-made cloud packages to suit their individual IT needs.

Off the shelf cloud email services was by far the most common ‘first use’ of cloud in the public sector - for 46% of respondents, while ‘gaining internal sponsorship’ was the most common reason for a delayed cloud journey, for 40% of respondents.

'Extra Pressure'

An uncertain perception of cloud in the public sector appears to hold their journey back and could be the reason why many organisations in the sector are still in their early cloud stages, despite initiatives like G-Cloud being in place for three years, claims the company.

Other findings include:

• Nine out of ten IT managers in the public sector say that the biggest concern in cloud adoption is integrating cloud services
• The public sector’s most common diversion to their cloud journey – for 38% - is internal cost-cutting
• The most popular ultimate cloud destination for the public sector, stated by a third, was ‘a pick and mix’ of cloud services for specific applications
• Data sovereignty is the public sector’s top cloud concern, with 54% saying that the most important service related factor when moving to the cloud is knowing where their data is held.

“The public sector is under extra pressure to acquire the right cloud solution, as many organisations are currently using outdated technology and are pressed with adopting the cloud quickly," said the firm's Group Sales Director, Andy Mills.

"To make the journey efficiently, IT managers must ensure that they determine what they want from a cloud provider so that it best suits their needs. Due diligence is key; make sure that you check the references of cloud providers that you are considering, to ensure you select a reputable vendor.”

Redcentric interviewed 200 IT decision makers from the public and private sector in spring 2015. All respondents had either adopted a cloud strategy or were planning to in the near future.

Polling was conducted by Vanson Bourne and involved interviews with 200 senior IT managers from UK public and private sector organisations. A quarter of the sample was from public sector and the other three quarters were from a range of private sectors, says Redcentric.

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