Although cloud computing depends on ever-evolving technology, it is a revolutionary operational model that is changing the way information technology (IT) is managed and delivered.
Despite that disruption, companies are beginning to see the benefits—or, at least, trying to plan for the inevitable transition to the cloud—which is, essentially, a metaphor for the Internet.
Successfully marketing the cloud requires understanding the nature of this new technology and taking new approaches to communicating its benefits to prospects.
The fast growth of cloud computing is causing organizations to seriously consider what it could mean for their business. They are trying to understand the cloud model and how it could affect their company, customers, vendors, and service providers.
Cloud Computing: What's the Big Deal?
Everyone loves the idea of the cloud. Imagine this utility model: You pay only for what you use; data, platforms, and IT systems are situated offsite; and system management is handled by someone else—ready to be tapped into, as needed. The cloud model is liberating: Companies can now focus on their core business strengths and differentiation.
In addition, the economic model means the cloud is here to stay. A recent study found that the cost savings of cloud infrastructure relative to midsize companies is better than a factor of seven across hardware, facilities, and personnel. Such clear financial incentives mean that everyone has to reconcile with the cloud-based IT future and figure out how to best harness its capability.
Even at this early stage of cloud adoption, the enterprise will change as the business, revenue, and service models of almost every player in the IT delivery chain adjusts. As cloud marketers, we must explain the landscape of change, and the opportunities presented, so customers can see the benefits and move beyond the fear of the unknown.
The Disruptive Cloud
The cloud is not a new technology; it is a new operational model. The enabling technologies are myriad, but the practicality of the cloud hinges on technology that abstracts the user from the actual hardware, and from the access layer that manages the security, availability, administration, and workflows of cloud resources. This new operational model changes the way IT organizations deliver services to every tier of their business and their supply and value chains.
The primary response to this kind of disruptive model is, in a word, fear. As IT marketers, we need to confront and transform the fears of the stakeholders. People have a standard operating procedure (SOP) that allows their business and career to thrive. If you want to enable your clients to change that SOP, you have to communicate how the cloud will enhance both career paths and pocketbooks.
The Challenges of Marketing the Cloud
Allaying the fear of new business disruptions is the overriding challenge of marketing the cloud. That fear affects everyone up and down the management ladder. Executives have to worry about the strategic balance between cost benefits versus control, service, and security. Personnel within the organization, especially IT, may feel threatened by the paradigm shift that could remove their raison d’être within their companies. And that's not to say anything about how the cloud model can affect relationships with partners, vendors, and customers.
The number-one concern for businesses, however, is security. Owners and IT managers worry about ceding their data and transactions to an outside service. It's an obvious human reaction to be concerned when you're not in direct control of your most valuable, differentiable, and competitive assets—your data.
Articulating the Value
Although security concerns remain prevalent among IT managers, uneasiness about the disruption of longstanding business models plagues each level of the channel—including OEMs, SIs, VARs, and ISVs. All players in the IT world, from manufacturers, to vendors, administrators, and users, should be asking themselves: What am I doing to adapt to this new services-delivery model?
