Rise of the cloud computing opposition

It’s an exciting time to be a cloud computing expert. I’ve noticed that every time I push back on public cloud computing, including cloud repatriation and strategic rejects, I get more views, hits, and interest from you guys. Why?

There is a clear interest in opposing cloud computing for many reasons we’ve covered here. The short take is cost, loss of control, lack of return on investment, data privacy, and even outright misleading marketing that has not yet led to the nirvana everyone believes was promised.

However, it’s also become apparent that pushback may have a silver lining for both cloud users and providers. This shakeup may improve the cloud market and finally make the value drivers for cloud computing easy to understand and leverage. Please stick with me here.

IT management’s opposition is a potential driver for significant improvements in cloud services. Their resistance encourages cloud providers to rethink and refine their role within the enterprise IT ecosystem. Reevaluation encourages IT workers to be more discerning and strategic about their use of cloud technologies.

Market readjustments

Cloud computing has enjoyed a swift ascendancy. Significant providers have steadily augmented their offerings to cater to various business needs. However, as companies grapple with their hurdles, the demand for more targeted, industry-specific cloud solutions has intensified. This incentivizes cloud providers to grow beyond the scope of simple technology deliverers toward becoming crucial partners in the digital landscape. In this new paradigm, they must deliver services that are not only technologically advanced but also finely tuned to match the strategic frameworks of individual enterprises.

To address the apprehensions of IT management, cloud vendors are increasingly putting forward more transparent, controllable solutions, such as enhanced governance tools and tailor-fit services to address industry-specific regulations and compliance needs.

This strategic reevaluation by cloud providers is complemented by a pragmatic turn among IT professionals. It is increasingly clear that the successful adoption of cloud services rests not solely on technological innovation but also on how well cloud computing aligns with broader business objectives. As cloud technology adoption grows, IT professionals emphasize the financial optimization of cloud services, leveraging finops methodologies to ensure economic viability and efficiency in cloud usage.

Furthermore, adopting multicloud and hybrid cloud architectures underscores a notable shift toward operational flexibility and risk mitigation. The pushback against public cloud reliance has led organizations to explore multicloud strategies that prevent dependency on any single vendor and ensure that workloads are optimally matched to the most suitable cloud environments.

Cloud providers finally get a clue

Ultimately, IT management’s concerns and critiques regarding public cloud services constitute an important opportunity for cloud providers. Providers can cultivate more robust and sustainable partnerships with enterprise IT teams by responding to these concerns with more innovative, transparent, and cost-effective offerings.

This evolution is anticipated to nurture a collaborative landscape wherein cloud vendors and enterprises work in tandem to realize transformative digital initiatives, paving the way for an IT ecosystem that is both resilient and responsive to dynamic business environments. There are no guarantees, but I do see the following positive signs:

• The focus is on cloud providers’ cost optimization, including provider cost operations tools and finops.
• Public cloud providers understand that cloud computing is no longer the primary option but one of many enterprises can consider.
• Cloud providers are doing a better job working and playing with on-premises systems and other cloud providers, understanding that heterogeneity is the likely path forward.
• The calls to fire me when I publish alternatives to clouds or cloud services have slowed considerably. This used to be a monthly occurrence that, fortunately, never worked.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m still in meetings where cloud providers are pushing back hard on any assertion that the future is anything other than public clouds. However, despite the explosive growth of generative AI in the cloud, they are getting humbled now.

Although the present doubts can be perceived as a challenge, they can potentially drive a resurgence of cloud services that are better attuned to the intricate demands of enterprise IT. Equipped with a pragmatic and strategic mindset, IT workers are positioned to capitalize on these developments, ensuring that cloud computing remains a pivotal element of modern business infrastructures.

I think this is a turn in the right direction that has been initiated by some self-revoking public cloud providers. Good news.