Just over half of the large enterprises using cloud storage do so because they want it to improve integration between development and operations. This same percentage of businesses hope that by using the cloud they can share data seamlessly across applications. Cloud broker services, however, are more like a stock broker. They facilitate cloud services and make recommendations, but they are not the provider of cloud infrastructure. You don’t go to a stock broker to buy stock, you go to a stock broker for guidance and recommendations for increasing the value of your investments. Stock brokers only make money if they sell you stock; cloud broker services only make money if they sell you cloud services.

Your company may be able to make your own cloud services decisions, but depending on your expertise and vulnerability you might decide to seek cloud broker services before making a long term decision. Some sources predict that the global market for cloud equipment will reach $79.1 billion by the year 2018. Some of this growth may be caused by the government. Using the cloud computing model for IT services, the government plans to reduce its own data center infrastructure expenses by approximately 30%. The government’s increased use of cloud computing services, while at the same time reducing infrastructure expenditures, may fuel the predicted 2018 growth.

Another entity that will likely increase the the global market for cloud equipment will be public and privately held business use. For example, research shows the following:
–52% of organizations have updated existing cloud services. If they have not already, they plan to in the next 12 months.
In addition:
–60% of companies report they use the public cloud,
–57% use the private cloud,
–19% use hybrid cloud services.

One of the factors keeping companies from moving their IT services to the cloud is security, or the perception that cloud offers less security. Cloud security assessment can provide you with supporting information to accurately depict the security risks, if any, that moving to the cloud may provide your IT services. Your cloud broker services provider should be able to assist you with a cloud security assessment.