Survey says: Washington D.C. businesses seize cloud opportunities

April 13th, 2011

Karen Del Vescovo

WASHINGTON, DC – You won’t often see the Washington, D.C. area compared to uber-trendy cities like New York and Los Angeles when it comes to things like fashion and music, but when it comes to evolving tech trends, our nation’s capital is a trend setter.

In fact, in a recent survey sponsored by Microsoft and conducted by 7^th Sense Research that assessed the attitudes and opinions of IT decision makers (ITDMs) toward cloud computing, D.C. surfaced as a city that’s particularly receptive to making the most of cloud computing.

The survey results revealed a number of reasons why D.C. ITDMs have so readily embraced web-based services. For one, supporting a mobile workforce is no longer a perk, but a necessity in a business climate defined by anytime, anywhere availability. Therefore, 81 percent of enterprise ITDMs in the Washington, D.C. area agree that IT must address the business need of enabling workers to work anywhere at any time.

Many of these ITDMs are turning to the cloud for help, since it enables workers to access key business applications from nearly any location. In fact, the main reason 46 percent of these respondents bought into cloud services was to support and enable a remote workforce.

What’s more, D.C. ITDMs view cloud computing as a technology revolution and an opportunity for IT to be more strategic, as well as a way for companies to show they are innovative. The cloud doesn’t just provide another way to access information – it helps companies better manage resources and talent, create new efficiencies and cut costs.

The cloud also makes new things possible and allows enterprise organizations to grow. For example, 26 percent of enterprise ITDMs in the Washington, D.C. area said the cloud enabled them to start a new line of business. With the cloud’s pay-as-you-go model, businesses can keep costs low while expanding their offerings, develop different ways of serving customers and clients and even enter new markets.

Hiring more staff

Fortunately, all of this benefits the local workforce – 28 percent of D.C. enterprise organizations are hiring more staff with cloud computing experience while 14 percent are hiring more staff in general as a result of cloud services. Additionally, half of D.C. ITDMs in enterprise businesses said they would be more likely to purchase a cloud solution if they could work with a certified partner; among D.C. enterprise ITDMs, 32 percent hired vendors to assist in deploying cloud projects.

Local IT consulting firm and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner RDA is just one area vendor that’s showing local businesses how to reap the benefits of cloud computing. “There’s no doubt that the cloud is igniting a growth in the IT services economy,” said Tom Cole, President and Chief Executive Officer of RDA.

“More and more of our customers are asking us how they can take advantage of the cloud because they’re starting to see how it can create tremendous efficiencies, while also providing much needed flexibility and control.”

As with any trend, it’s never wise to jump on the bandwagon before doing your homework. If you’re debating whether or not cloud-based technologies will benefit your business, take some time to talk with a local IT services vendor, learn how businesses similar to yours are leveraging the cloud and determine what’s right for your organization.

Don’t follow the trend just because it’s the popular thing to do right now, but don’t let it pass you by either – it might be just what your business needs to grow and thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Karen Del Vescovo is general manager for Microsoft’s Mid-Atlantic District, which includes Washington, D.C. For more information on how to harness the power of the cloud, visit_www.microsoft.com/cloud

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