As IaaS Cloud Adoption Goes Global, Tech Vendors Must Address Local Concerns

Despite the buzz about cloud computing, global adoption rates for infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) remain anemic. However, a look at regional differences in adoption and local concerns reveals that security and privacy are often top of mind as potential customers weigh the advantages and risks of moving their applications — and consequently their data — into the cloud. Concerns about security and privacy are often attributed to regulatory restrictions. How valid is that claim? Where exactly is the cloud, and how will it be subject to local legal and regulatory regimes? Local data protection requirements do have implications for cloud computing. But requirements are not always as onerous as claimed. Tech marketers must understand the implications of location, both for their own strategic decisions and to help educate potential customers as they inform their own decisions to move into the cloud, or not.