2010-01-12
SOUTHAMPTON, UK, 23 October 2009: A study commissioned by PEER 1 Network Enterprises, Inc. (TSX: PIX), the global online business hosting provider has found that 88% of IT decision makers do not use cloud technologies, with 39% of respondents claiming that lack of knowledge is putting them off. The independent study which canvassed the opinions of over 200 IT decision makers reveals that concerns about security put off 24% of would-be cloud users, whilst 21% perceive that lack of control outweighs the benefits of cloud hosting.
Despite the concerns, 49% of those surveyed say that they are considering the technology. The availability and reliability of cloud computing are viewed as key benefits for 69% of respondents, whilst another 63% are attracted to its performance benefits. Scalability and flexibility are both factors that appeal to over 60% of potential cloud hosting users, with 43% citing security as being a reason to choose cloud hosting.
Dominic Monkhouse, Managing Director of PEER 1 UK commented: “We commissioned this study to better understand IT decision makers’ perceptions of cloud hosting. We were surprised by how much confusion there still is about its benefits and limitations. For example, the security of cloud hosting appealed to 43% of decision makers – whilst 23% cite their perceived lack of security as a deterrent.
“More needs to be done to address the concerns surrounding cloud technologies. Cloud can reduce costs and increase flexibility for businesses, which is appealing for any IT decision maker. The industry needs to provide standards that will address concerns around security and compliance before people will take that leap into the unknown.”
PEER 1 this year launched its CloudXcelerator™ program to foster and support the growth of cloud computing. The CloudXcelerator™ program allows qualifying partners to develop, test and run cloud applications on PEER 1’s high performance 10GB SuperNetwork™ infrastructure, helping them to bring cloud innovations to fruition faster, more reliably and more cost-effectively.
Richard Davies, CEO and Co-Founder of ElasticHosts, a member of PEER 1’s CloudXcelerator™ program said: "Cloud is a hot topic in IT right now, but a lot of confusion remains about the technology. Surveys such as this one carried out by PEER 1 show strong demand for the benefits of cloud hosting, but also a need to demystify the subject. The more information provided to IT leaders on this topic, the better.
“PEER 1 truly understands cloud technology and their CloudXcelerator™ program has been invaluable as we have worked in partnership to build out our innovative cloud hosting platform and rapidly bring it to market."
About PEER 1
PEER 1 believes in the limitless opportunity of the Internet, and the business growth potential it provides for its more than 10,000 customers. As a global online business hosting provider, PEER 1 offers a reliable high performance Internet network supporting scalable Managed Hosting, Dedicated Hosting through the ServerBeach brand, and Colocation solutions. Backed by its 100 percent uptime guarantee and 24x7x365 FirstCall Support™, PEER 1 ensures customers’ online presence is always fast, always available. Since 1999, PEER 1 has grown to include 16 state-of-the-art data centres and points-of-presence throughout North America and Europe. The company’s headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada, with European operations headquartered in Southampton, UK. PEER 1 shares are traded on the TSX under the symbol PIX. For more information visit: www.peer1.com or www.peer1hosting.co.uk.
About ElasticHosts
ElasticHosts provides ultra-flexible and easy-to-use cloud server capacity for scalable web hosting and on-demand burst computing such as batch processing, development & test, backup & disaster recovery and cloud bursting. ElasticHosts offers competitive pricing for both subscription and burst use, outstanding performance for any PC operating system, fully flexible sizing, two independent UK data centres with fast direct links to the UK/EU internet, and a 100% SLA with 100x credits for downtime. For more information, visit www.elastichosts.com or e-mail sales@elastichosts.com.
For European media inquiries please contact Champion Communications, +44 20 7268 3436, peer1@championcomms.com