Summary
Ultimately, cloud services offer opportunities to source complete or partial services for all IT and business processes. This move to a multisourced, multicapability, or hybrid market model has risks just like those faced by Boeing (when different suppliers held different responsibilities and different roles, which resulted in several time and budget failures). That is not to say that using cloud services is bad, but rather, a reminder that adequate management of their use and integration is critical.
Key points to consider from this chapter are
- The cloud services market is developing at a rate faster than most other technology and business models.
- Cloud services are changing business models and industries and are creating new opportunities for all.
- There are many definitions of cloud services, and the NIST definition is the most widely accepted definition used today.
- The benefits of cloud services span both business and technology spheres.
- Cloud is not a panacea.
The discussion so far has focused primarily on defining our topic and examining the benefits associated with cloud services. Chapter 2, "Evolution or Revolution?," examines the risks that must be considered alongside those benefits.