2Q2011 KPMG Global Sourcing Advisory Pulse Survey – A Little Cloud Gazing
Bill Thomas, Partner, Sourcing Advisory, KPMG in the UK
The second quarter 2011 KPMG Global Sourcing Advisory Pulse Survey findings have now been announced and, again, offer a valuable insight into trends in end-user organisations’ usage of shared services, outsourcing and third-party business and IT services. Findings are from KPMG firms’ advisors and leading global business and IT service providers.
Unsurprisingly, the term cloud continues to be at the forefront of the minds of both service providers and end users and findings from the Pulse survey show interesting trends in this area. As we drill into the details, IT infrastructure outsourcing deals, for example, all include in one shape or form, cloud elements. So you could argue that buyers, providers and consultants operating in this space are showing themselves eminently capable of understanding a cloud delivery model or a cloud-delivered component – understanding it, contracting for it, delivering it very robustly and achieving desired business outcomes.
Another observation that I made relating to cloud when looking at the survey findings was that there are parts of the outsourcing industry that, in many ways, have been delivering on a cloud basis for decades. Building on this experience, there are some enormous investments that service providers have been making in cloud-based services. These services are now also very well resourced from a pre-sales perspective and I expect to see further traction in the marketplace for cloud offerings in the next year or two.
What I would say to clients weighing up the potential of cloud for their organisations is, don’t be scared by it. Treat it with the respect it deserves, but remember that it’s often an operating model that you’re already adopting successfully.
The Pulse report and webcast, both of which cover a wide range of current issues and trends including trends in global sourcing and deal pricing, are available here.
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