The Challenges
Leslie P. Willcocks, Will Venters, Edgar A. Whitley · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · 2014
In the near term, cloud computing faces a number of challenges clearly identified by our research. These include legal and regulatory compliance considerations, security and privacy issues, managing the contractual relationship between client and cloud provider, including lock-in and dependency, as well as managing the very flexibility that cloud provides. Nevertheless, many of these types of challenge have been faced previously and effective solutions have evolved. For example, safe harbour provisions address legal and regulatory issues about transferring data abroad and over 25 years of IT outsourcing have resulted in a skill base that is capable of managing contractual relationships with key partners. End-user computing, whether in the form of desktop computers or, increasingly, smartphones, has become effectively integrated within the IT infrastructure of most organizations. Cloud computing can, and should, learn from these experiences if it is to achieve its full potential. In this chapter and the next, we report on the five major challenges identified by our research and discuss ways forward.