CompTIA has released its report “CompTIA’s 3^rd Annual Trends in Cloud Computing” a 59-page report that examines the current state of cloud computing. The study includes data from 500 businesses that consume technology services and over 400 technology providers. CompTIA’s research  found the cloud is changing far more than technology infrastructure and capabilities; it is transforming the very structure of business.

According to the report, attitudes about cloud computing are continuing to improve. An impressive 85 percent of respondents indicated they feel “more positive” or “significantly more positive”  about the cloud as compared to the previous year. This was an increase of 13 percent from the previous. Higher comfort levels with the cloud are translating to higher adoption rates. Almost 80 percent of companies included in CompTIA’s study are leveraging the cloud, and 52 percent indicated they plan to increase spending on cloud computing by at least 10 percent this year.

Cloud Skills/Roles Companies Are Adding to IT Departments

These high levels of cloud adoption are having impacts beyond faster access to technology. Respondents for more than three out of five companies reported they are now seeking cloud related skills when staffing.  Private cloud developers and administrators, integration specialists, architects and compliance specialists are in especially high demand. Vendors are racing to address these still growing needs. Three fourths of the technology suppliers surveyed also said they are working to increase their vendor-neutral expertise in  cloud computing.

In spite of popular perception, the cloud is not causing IT jobs to float away.  “Reductions in IT headcount” was one of the least popular reasons cited as a driver for cloud adoption. In fact, only 20 percent of the respondents indicated that they had reduced IT staff as a result of moving to the cloud. Thirty two percent indicated that some restructuring of IT was necessary to support cloud computing initiatives , and almost half of the companies that restructured their technology teams added cloud computing specific roles.

Although businesses are adding resources with cloud skills, they are still seeking external help to support their cloud adoption. Approximately 21 percent of companies in the study had engaged an external firm to assist with their cloud transitions. However, only 19 percent of small firms are working with solution partners. This number is likely to grow as smaller companies adopt more sophisticated cloud solutions as their comfort level with the cloud expands.

Contributors Maria Deutscher