Original post by Sundar Raghavan via E-commerceTimes

Even though they recognize the benefits of cloud computing technologies, many business leaders have questions about cloud security and control. That’s understandable. But by adopting a collaborative approach and aligning their responsibilities with those of the cloud provider, these leaders are finding solutions that offer the best of both worlds.

Business users are drawn to the cloud. Of course, that’s not surprising, considering they tend to see only the benefits: self-service freedom, scalability, availability, flexibility, and the pleasure of avoiding various nasty hardware and software headaches.

IT leaders, on the other hand, aren’t always as enthusiastic. They worry about cloud security and have legitimate concerns that applications and data could fall into the hands of unauthorized users. What’s more, they also want to retain a level of influence and control.

Can both “sides” have their way? Is it possible to deliver the freedom that users want and the control that IT leaders need?

Of course! But, doing so will take a collaborative effort. Both business users and IT leaders are going to have to assume a few key responsibilities . . . and you’ll have to be certain your cloud provider is doing its part, too.

Your 5 Responsibilities

1. Define the business need. Which specific problem are you trying to solve with cloud computing technology? Is it an ongoing concern or one that occurs only infrequently? Do you need an answer “yesterday,” or do you have time to build out a solution?

Remember: Not all clouds are created equal. Some can run your applications unchanged, with instant access. Others require a little tweaking. Knowing your needs and the differences between cloud technologies will help you determine the right strategy for attacking the particular business problem that needs attention.

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