Migrating customers seamlessly to the cloud remains a challenge according to research by the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF). The majority of end users confirm that the cloud model offers them a competitive advantage but achieving this happy state is far from straightforward for most customers.
The study found that 87% of cloud users feel their migration could have been improved, with 38% wishing it had cost less. In more detail, 31% struggled with the complexity of migration, while 35% would have liked better tools from their Cloud Service Provider.
In a number of cases these difficulties resulted in lost productivity during implementation, delays in time to market, and to a lesser extent, some negative impact on the customer experience.
"Although these difficulties do not seem to have impacted UK businesses' enthusiasm for cloud in any significant way, improving the overall experience of cloud, from service design to service migration and management, should be an ongoing focus and priority for the industry to further enhance the benefits of cloud experienced by businesses," stated CIF CEO Alex Hilton.
On the plus side, the research found that 55% of cloud users have experienced a competitive advantage from using cloud services, and a further 23% anticipate the same result.
The survey also confirmed that end users are attracted to cloud benefits such as faster access to technology, flexibility of delivery and operational cost savings.