You've heard them, so have we. Despite rapid adoption of cloud computing there are still many misconceptions floating around. Here are 13 false statements still told about cloud computing in 2013. See the infographic of the top 5 here: http://www.rackspace.com/blog/top-cloud-computing-myths-of-2013-infographic/

1. I’m not worried about BYOD
You should be. In a recent survey, 82% of organizations report workers
using personal devices like smartphones and tablets to access business
email and other applications. Though businesses reap hardware savings
and increased employee satisfaction from BYOD culture, supporting it
can be expensive. Cloud enables anywhere access to a variety of devices
without IT having to build the supporting infrastructure.
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You’ve heard them. So have we. Despite the rapid adoption of cloud computing in
government, business, and in our social lives, there are still many misconceptions
floating around. Over the years, the concerns and misinformation have evolved as
more businesses have embraced cloud. Here we’ve compiled 13 false statements we
commonly hear about the cloud and wrap some truth around them.
13 Cloud Myths
Still Around in 2013

2. Cloud is a cure-all
That depends on the malady. If you’re looking for a
quick fix to handle seasonal spikes, implementing
cloud is an ideal solution. However, if you’re looking
for a quick fix to correct performance issues or
security needs, cloud may only be one of many steps
to fix the underlying problem.
Cloud providers’
data centers hurt
the environment
In reality, they’re a greener approach than millions of
businesses operating their own resource-heavy
configurations on site. Between cooling, lighting, and
maintenance, enterprise data centers use about twice
as much power than needed to do the actual job.
With their prime focus on operating as efficiently as
possible, cloud provider data centers are becoming
greener and more efficiently run than ever.
02 03
We’ll lose our jobs to the cloud
In fact, the cloud isn’t stealing jobs; it’s actually creating more jobs. According to one study, by 2015, the cloud will
create over 13 million jobs worldwide. The need for cloud-savvy IT personnel to manage cloud is set to grow. IT pros
need to sharpen their cloud skills to keep pace with the changing dynamics.
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05 Cloud is just distributed computing
Yes, and no. Yes, cloud utilizes the same technology paradigm used in the
distributed computing model, however, cloud layers on new levels of scale
and access (APIs) that give businesses a low-cost computing avenue with
more control than was possible with simple distributed computing.

3. 06
09
Cloud is more expensive
than on-premises IT
This misconception often arises from the difficulty
businesses have in calculating the true costs of
internal IT. According to O’Reilly Media, the cloud
actually saves 29% or over $40,000 compared to
internal IT.
Migration is a headache
Depending on the age and condition of existing
systems, migrating to the cloud may force you to do
some house cleaning to correct architectural issues.
However, partnering with an experienced provider
gives you the guidance you need to identify and
correct architectural issues before they create a
migration disaster.
07 08
Big data is not a big deal
Managing the onslaught of digital data threatens to cripple storage resources of average businesses. Even more
dangerous are the insights and connections your business maybe missing because of the volume of unstructured
data in the organization. Research shows that a typical Fortune 1000 company that uses data only 10% more
effectively can generate $2 billion in added revenue. Cloud not only helps businesses store data more efficiently
but also helps to structure and organize data for insights you need to beat the competition.
Cloud pricing is too complicated
Not if you know what you’re looking for and understand the technologies you need. Differing pricing models
between providers can easily confuse those entering into the cloud without defined goals.

4. 10
I’m waiting...
until the cloud matures
You’d better get moving. A recent ISACA survey of
cloud users, providers, consultants, and integrators
suggests cloud computing will hit its maturity within
the next four years. The transformation is largely driven
by IT professionals (77%) who understand the value of
cloud but struggle to get organizational buy-in.
Cloud vendors force
you into cookie cutter
configurations
Not in the open era. For some business needs, cookie
cutter configurations fit the workload and business
goal. But for complex, cloud-scale, configurations,
open platforms, like OpenStack, offer an open code
base giving businesses maximum control, flexibility,
and deployment freedom to customize architecture
around business needs not packaged offerings.
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I can build my own cloud
You can sink time, resources, and effort into building your own cloud, but is that your business focus? Probably
not. For the same reasons businesses don’t build their own power plants or cellphone towers, trusting a cloud-
experienced provider to deliver IT services gives you the freedom to focus on growing your business not just
keeping the servers humming.
You can put everything on the cloud
Some businesses can. A restaurant locator app doesn’t have the same
security and compliance issues as a banking app. That banking app or other
compliance or security sensitive workloads can still benefit from cloud
efficiencies with a hybrid cloud model. Hybrid computing allows businesses
to move cloud-friendly workloads like file storage or media hosting to the
cloud while keeping sensitive pieces like credit card data on dedicated or
on-premises servers.
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