Eighty five percent of Irish companies currently deploy cloud technology according to Equinix, the global interconnection and data centre company.

Equinix have today announced the results of an independent survey of senior IT decision-makers in Ireland which shows that more than half (53%) already have plans to increase deployment in the next year and a further 38% are considering increasing their cloud usage. The typical medium to large enterprise will spend on average €190,000 on cloud technology and services in the next 12 months.
 
The findings show that cloud technology is widely deployed by Irish enterprises and as they embark on their digital transformation journeys, businesses are relying on their cloud service providers (CSPs) to help them become digitally competitive. When asked to list their top reasons for using cloud technology, 48% said it provides them with the ability and flexibility to scale, while 34% said it helps with speed of deployment.
 
Despite the clear competitive advantage of using cloud, businesses face barriers to adoption or increased adoption. Security risks were listed by 60% of the respondents when choosing the top barriers. That was followed by loss of control of data and governance (50%) and the high costs associated with deployment (38%). 
 
The survey confirms the growing significance of cloud within Irish organisations, with some 24% of respondents saying more than a quarter of their IT budget now goes on cloud spending. Irish businesses are also becoming more sophisticated in their deployment and are looking for ways in which different CSPs can serve their various digital transformation and overall IT strategy. Of those that are using cloud, some 58% of respondents said they are using multiple CSPs. 
 
Commenting on the figures, Managing Director for Ireland and emerging markets at Equinix, Maurice Mortell said, "Irish businesses have really embraced cloud and you can see that in the amount they are investing in it and the increasing sophistication of their usage. Cloud is essential for all businesses today – not just IT companies."

He added, "In fact, it’s quite hard not to be utilising the cloud in some form or another these days. However, businesses must ensure that they are using the cloud in a secure, efficient and innovative way that enhances their business and helps them compete in the digital era."

Source: www.businessworld.ie