F5 and Frost & Sullivan study reveals evolution in cloud decision-making and implementation, defined by A-B-C-D framework

Findings show majority of Asia Pacific enterprises view cloud computing as #1 priority

SINGAPORE, APRIL 23, 2015 – F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) today released “The New Language of Cloud Computing,” a whitepaper developed in collaboration with Frost & Sullivan, announcing the findings of a study on the evolution in how enterprises in Asia Pacific are discussing, evaluating, and implementing cloud-based solutions. The paper outlines an A-B-C-D framework that identifies four key factors shaping today’s enterprise cloud services decisions:

• Applications: enterprises are increasingly outsourcing strategic and core workloads to the cloud, including mission critical applications such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and security
• Business decision-makers: the role of non-IT business leaders in cloud services planning and procurement is expanding
• Customers: discussions on cloud adoption are shifting from business-centric to customer-centric, focusing on how cloud services can enhance the value and experience delivered to customers
• Defense: security and privacy of IT environments remain a key focus, with 68% identifying security as the biggest impediment in adopting cloud services

 The study found increasing focus and efforts on cloud computing in the region, with 58.6% of organization decision-makers identifying it as their #1 priority in the next 12 months, and 91% of enterprises either already using cloud services or currently in the planning or implementing stage. In Singapore, almost 40% of enterprises are using cloud computing; while more than 35% are planning or implementing cloud strategies. A large number of companies adopting cloud services at 47.4% are looking to complement their existing IT set-up, while 24.9% are looking to enhance and 20.7% to augment their existing IT environment. 

“With virtually all enterprises now currently using or in the process of adopting cloud computing – and seeing real business benefits – understanding and decision-making around cloud is rapidly maturing and evolving. We noted increasing conversations in leveraging the advantage of hybrid IT environments to deliver the agility and flexibility of cloud computing while maintaining security, control, and visibility over the last six months,” said Emmanuel Bonnassie, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, F5. “To fully benefit from a hybrid infrastructure, IT silos must be broken down, applications and supporting services must be abstracted from infrastructure so they can be seamlessly and automatically provisioned across multiple parts of a hybrid environment, offering businesses greater agility, scalability, and freedom.”

The study also showed a strong understanding of the actual benefits of cloud services beyond cost-savings, particularly in driving business model innovation and experimentation without increasing capital expenditure or other risks. Three out of four decision-makers agree that cloud services are a solution to “faster speed to market and increase competitiveness;” while 70% agree that cloud computing “is a critical component in any business transformation strategy.”

According to the whitepaper, in Singapore, facilitating resource optimization and enhancing internal business processes are ranked as the top two factors behind cloud adoption for enterprises. For example, aviation industry participants such as Changi Airport Group (CAG) and SATS have been using cloud services to enhance their business processes. CAG uses a cloud-based CRM system to manage its increasing call volumes better while managing costs and operational efficiencies, while SATS uses cloud computing to run a range of IT applications ranging from e-mail, collaboration to resource and cargo management.

The whitepaper also indicates Software-Defined Everything (SDE) and related emerging technologies will best meet the management demands of automated environments as cloud services begin to resemble an infinite resource pool, with intelligent, real-time monitoring and managing systems. The paper further notes that the resulting Everything as a Service (XaaS) IT environment is predicted to significantly disrupt the way technology is consumed and inspire business model innovation – ultimately transforming whole industries.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• BIG-IQ Cloud Datasheet
• “The New Language of Cloud Computing” whitepaper
• “Managing the Cloud with BIG-IQ Cloud” whitepaper
• Optimizing Network Services Orchestration and Automation for Cloud
• Software Defined Application Services with BIG-IQ – video

About F5

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes apps go faster, smarter, and safer for the world’s largest businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brands. F5 delivers cloud and security solutions that enable organizations to embrace the application infrastructure they choose without sacrificing speed and control. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.

F5 is a trademark or service mark of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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