"We've moved beyond the question of how long cloud computing will exert its pull on the modern day enterprise," noted Vishal Sharma, Senior Director of Business Development at NaviSite, in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Chair Jeremy Geelan.

Sharma then concluded that "Cloud computing represents a transformative - and permanent - change to the way IT resources are managed and delivered."

Cloud Computing Journal: A very general question first, about Cloud Computing itself: Surely we've heard all of this before in various forms and guises - grid computing / utility computing, etc.? What is different this time - why is everyone so convinced it will now work?

Vishal Sharma: There is a synergistic confluence of factors driving the interest in cloud computing. First, enterprises now understand - and can quantify - the tangible benefits of underlying cloud computing technologies. Virtualization allows enterprises to use resources more efficiently - turning them on and off, as required - while eliminating high capex barriers associated with new or expanding IT initiatives.

Second, enterprises have reached a level of comfort with cloud computing. Cloud providers are sensitive to the security concerns of enterprises, and will work with customers to ensure the integrity and security of their data, as well compliance with regulations, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GLBA.

Finally, enterprises recognize the accelerated time-to-benefits of cloud computing. Not only are there no capex barriers to new IT initiatives, there are also no long procurement cycles. Enterprises can just turn on the resources they need - when they need them.

Cloud Computing Journal: What are the three main factors driving CIOs toward the Cloud?

Sharma: Although cloud computing initiatives are driven by several technology trends and business imperatives, most CIOs and IT directors look at three main factors, or benefits - improved total cost of ownership, business agility, and service levels.

At an economic level, cloud computing offers an attractive total cost of ownership when compared to on-premises deployments. With usage-based billing, customers avoid the large capital expenditures associated with building and maintaining an in-house data center. Enterprises using cloud computing benefit from the increased efficiency - they can scale up and down, as needed. Since enterprises pay only for the resources they use, they typically enjoy savings of 20-40%

Cloud computing also enables a faster time-to-value for IT-driven business initiatives. Cloud computing eliminates long procurement cycles associated with in-house development projects, and ensures that deployments move quickly from staging to live production.

Finally, and, ultimately, cloud computing adoption is dependent upon cloud providers' ability to offer guaranteed service for performance, availability, and "response and resolution." Enterprises need assurances that cloud computing will provide the requisite reliability and business continuity features to support their IT objectives.

Cloud Computing Journal: And what are the three main barriers preventing some CIOs from moving some of the on-premise computing to the Cloud?

Sharma: First security - organizations in industries, such as health care and financial services, have concerns about maintaining the integrity and security of their data. These industries must comply with stringent security requirements, such as HIPAA and GLBA. Companies that engage in commerce must also ensure the security of customer information, such as credit card numbers.

Second, support for hybrid solutions - though most enterprises recognize the value of moving infrastructure and applications to the cloud, there are some IT resources, such as legacy systems and highly sensitive applications, that are not necessarily suited to the cloud. These enterprises require hybrid solutions that allow them to tie their on-premises hardware and software infrastructure with their cloud deployments. Some cloud providers have the APIs and expertise to implement these hybrid deployments, but enterprises must proceed cautiously when evaluating these proposed solutions.

Third, perceived complexity of moving business processes to the cloud - cloud computing is not only a transformative technology shift, it also represents a cultural break from established IT procedures and processes. Cloud computing requires enterprises to evaluate their business processes, modify them where necessary, and then move them into the cloud. Affecting this kind of cultural change can be difficult, particularly in entrenched organizations where issues such as territoriality are prevalent.

Cloud Computing Journal: How does your own company's offering/s assist CIOs and organizations/companies?

Sharma: NaviSite understands that while enterprises recognize the benefits of cloud computing, they often need help in figuring out how to initiate the move. In addition to its managed cloud services, NaviSite offers cloud enablement services to help enterprises migrate their IT environments to the cloud. NaviSite works with customers to identify which applications are suited to the cloud, and helps organizations adapt their business processes to take full advantage of the cloud computing benefits.

Once enterprises have moved to NaviSite's managed cloud services, they have access to on-demand, instantly scalable resources. NaviSite's AppCenter user interface makes it easy for customers to turn resources on and off, monitor usage, and check on billing.

Cloud Computing Journal: Are there other players in the Cloud ecosystem offering the same - or is your company unique? Why?

Sharma: There are, of course, other cloud computing providers on the market. What sets NaviSite apart is the truly enterprise-class nature of our offering. Unlike other providers, NaviSite's cloud platform was built from the ground up to be enterprise-class - the state-of-the-art infrastructure offers high-availability, while NaviSite offers world-class support and industry-leading service level guarantees.

Cloud Computing Journal: We hear talk of a Cloud Revolution and also of a Cloud "evolution" - either way, what kind of time span are we talking about, do you think. In other words, for how long is Cloud Computing going to exert its pull on the minds, hearts, and budgets of all involved in modern-day Enterprise IT?

Sharma: Cloud computing is both an evolution and a revolution - and both have already begun! From a technology perspective, cloud computing is a natural evolution of technologies and approaches, such as virtualization and utility computing.

The revolution is taking place in IT departments around the world, as CIOs increasingly recognize the measurable benefits of moving IT infrastructure, applications, and services to the cloud. With flat-lined - or declining - budgets, CIOs and IT directors are empowered to find more efficient approaches to supporting their companies' IT requirements. We've moved beyond the question of how long cloud computing will exert its pull on the modern-day enterprise. Cloud computing represents a transformative - and permanent - change to the way IT resources are managed and delivered.