For our most recent print publication,
Forecast 2012: Next steps in a slow path forward (vol. 3, no. 2), IT in Canada broadened the scope of our regular commentary by adding the perspective of 33 Canadian industry practitioners on trends they expect to see over the coming year in six technology categories. One of the areas that continues to commanded attention in the media and in the C-suite of many Canadian companies is cloud, and we were fortunate in having an opportunity to speak with several thought leaders on this new paradigm in IT, including Aldo Gallone, cloud leader at IBM Canada.
The following is a longer version of the views that Gallone shared in our print magazine. Here, he describes the technology drivers for cloud adoption, how cloud is faring in Canada, as well as industry and IBM efforts to overcome challenges to cloud implementation.
IT in Canada: My mission today is to canvassing your opinion on trends you see coming in cloud for 2012. Some of the bigger topics might include public vs. private cloud implementation, the building of specialized clouds, barriers to adoption, and what you are seeing in the Canadian market – but I would like to understand what you think is most important.
Aldo Gallone: Overall, I see a general acceleration in Canada. I think we’ve been behind the curve based on our conservative nature and the fact that we weren’t hit as badly by the recession – we’ve been slightly behind the U.S. and even some European countries like Germany in terms of adoption. But I see us closing that gap this year. And the reason for that is that Canadian IT professionals and the IT world are starting to get their heads around what I call the ‘IT textbook’ as it relates and maps to cloud. They’re starting to come to terms with some of the issues that have been holding them back, such as security or governance. And though some of those barriers may not be fully removed, they are starting to melt. People are beginning to get their heads around issues like security in the cloud, for example, and are beginning to understand that it’s not so bad; in some cases it’s actually better. And they are also learning how to govern cloud venders. So I think as a top line statement, we’re going to see Canada close the gap with other nations.
