Cloud computing is here. Are you ready?

Grazed from The Globe and Mail. Author: Editorial Staff.

Most Canadians know something about cloud computing – our Gmail, Yahoo! or Hotmail accounts are all sitting on a virtual server somewhere – but businesses have been slow to adopt this technology. A 2012 Bank of Montreal report found that half of all business owners weren’t familiar with cloud computing, while only 10 per cent of companies planned to use it.

Wayne Ingram, managing director of technology for Accenture Canada, says it’s only a matter of time until those numbers tick upward. Storing information on a virtual server, rather than on servers stored in the office basement, is cheaper and more efficient. And with people working on multiple devices and from disparate locations, logging on to a network with a VPN key, or encryption key, isn’t practical any more. Mr. Ingram told us how companies can adopt cloud-based software, what’s holding people back and where this technology will go in the future…

Are companies still as curious about the cloud as they have been in the past? Absolutely. It’s a hot topic, and it’s on the forefront of people’s minds. This year will produce unprecedented change in technology – innovation in cloud technology, convergence, smartphones, tablets and big data. Most of our clients have their foot in the cloud in some capacity – some don’t even necessarily know they have it, like if they use cloud-based e-mail – but everyone’s asking, ‘How do I leverage the cloud?’…

Read more from the source @ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/cloud-computing-is-here-are-you-ready/article9695434/