IaaS Isn't Just Cloud Computing Fluff: Survey

The survey found that IaaS, one of the key components of cloud computing along with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), is taking hold. And while adoption is still much slower than its SaaS counterpart, the market is gaining traction and IaaS deployments will grow over the next two years.

In its report, "Is IaaS Moving Beyond Just Cloud Fluff?," which is part of its "Anywhere Enterprise: 2010 U.S. Cloud Computing FastView Survey," Yankee Group found that 24 percent of large enterprises with cloud experience are already using IaaS, and another 37 percent expect to adopt IaaS within the next 24 months.

Additionally, 50 percent of enterprises considering IaaS in the next two years are actually planning to implement it in the next 12 months, meaning adoption is expedited.

Despite the growth of IaaS, barriers remain. Yankee Group's survey found that the No. 1 barrier for enterprises considering IaaS adoption is virtualization security. Meanwhile, companies that already have IaaS deployed rank regulatory compliance, data migration, reliability, employee use and quantitative benefits higher than virtualization security.

And while 29 percent of cloud adopters said that systems integrators are their most trusted partners for cloud computing, early IaaS adopters are targeting telecoms for their cloud plans. The Yankee Group found that 33 percent of early IaaS adopters said telecom companies are best positioned for cloud services.

"The desire to adopt is there, but IaaS solutions and providers still have some barriers to address," Sandra Palumbo, Yankee Group research fellow and author of the report, said in a statement. "As adoption plans begin to mount, the time is now for service providers, systems integrators and others to solidify their solutions and address the lingering concerns around the cloud."