When it comes to adopting cloud computing, to my mind there are three types of company:

  • Early adopters who swallow the pill in a big way. They’ll get burned, almost without exception. But they’ll come out stronger, leaner, meaner and faster than the rest.(Netflix, I’m looking at you.)
  • Those who do their homework the day it’s set. They’ll either have or will shortly select non-mission critical applications and move them into the cloud, and at the same time start looking to create new apps in the cloud albeit in a low key way. These guys will be slow and steady, but they’ll get there in the end. (Most of the 2015 FTSE 100?)
  • Those who do their homework the night it’s due. They’ll wait for everyone else to ‘take the risk’ for them, and only then start a gradual, lumbering migration. Just like at school, these guys will get outpaced by the competition. For some of them, it’ll be a terminal mistake. (Most of the current FTSE 100?)

Make no mistake, all companies will end up in the cloud eventually. How (and if) you get there is up to you.

My advice? Don’t be last.