Why do you like the cloud?

It’s easy to understand why the CFO likes cloud computing. It’s almost certainly less expensive than running a traditional IT organization and infrastructure.

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Perhaps the HR manager likes the cloud, too. It means cutting payroll headcount and issuing fewer ID badges. The facilities manager probably adores the cloud. Fewer employees and a dismantled server infrastructure means lower electricity, lighting, and HVAC consumption. But, what to do with the recovered office space?

And what about end users? Should they like the cloud? I can argue they should not have an opinion either way. That’s because an app and its data should simply work and that whatever lies under the hood should not be visible or identifiable. When I log into my bank or into a retailer, I haven’t the slightest clue what’s in the cloud, whether it’s running on AWS or Azure, what’s on-premises, or anything else.

Developers, of course, are nearly universally for the cloud, though I’ve been told the top reason is one that might be a surprise. In a conversation yesterday with Dave Bartoletti, principal analyst at Forrester, he says the top reason is that the cloud lets developers develop faster. All the pieces are in place and there’s no internal red tape to conquer when asking for resources. “It’s the fastest way to get their job done,” he told me. There’s also the idea that with cloud expertise in uber-high demand, developer and architect salaries are being driven up.

CIOs lie somewhere in the middle. While they’re certain to be won over by lower costs and faster development cycles, there’s the opposing loss of control when their beloved on-premises infrastructure of long standing gets dismantled.

What about you? What is the one thing about the universe of cloud computing that you like above all others? What’s the one thing you dislike most? Share your thoughts, we’d like to hear from you.