IDG Contributor Network: Cloud computing and the costs: a love-hate relationship

When talking with CIOs and other senior executives, cloud computing is often cited as the foundation of a given digitization strategy. It is typically associated with forward-thinking attributes known from mode-2 (see bimodal IT) such as greater flexibility and agility, faster time-to-market, and being a booster for innovation. However, despite the euphoria to leverage cloud computing to conquer the digital world and produce new top-line growth, behind the curtain, the quest for good old cost re