A recent survey BMC Software and Forrester Research commissioned should give IT professionals cause for concern. The survey details the booming popularity of cloud computing and how it's being used recklessly by businesses--much to the chagrin of IT. In fact, CIOs are deliberately using cloud computing to go behind the OT department's back and only plan to increase circumvention. But this ill-conceived strategy means mission critical operations are going unmonitored.

Cloud Nine Computing

CIOs seem to think they can get by running mission critical operations in a cloud without in-house supervision. The survey refers to these situations as unmanaged clouds, because while the companies providing the services monitor to an extent, this of course isn't enough for high-level processes. From a base of 327 enterprise infrastructure executives, 58 percent are guilty of this. Beyond that, 79 percent plan to do this sort of rogue computing in the next two years, and 72 percent of CIOs think businesses see this as a way to work around (or without) IT, according to ZDNet. An intricate cloud computing strategy is a high priority for 81 percent of the survey respondents. While suggestions were made as to how IT professionals could take control, first remember the implications of going without them.

An IT Conspiracy

If CIOs make the IT department obsolete in regards to managing their cloud-based critical operations, what other ways will they find to cut out IT? Many reasons are given as to why CIOs are circumventing IT. Even if it's not the first thing they're thinking of, they would quickly notice the money they save in labor--something that perhaps a midsize business would lean toward more than a larger business. However, the idea that IT professionals are obsolete is inherently flawed. It would only be a matter of time before there was an oversight issue, and it would spell out bad news for the business.

This is where the IT department has to protect other users from themselves. Even if the IT department isn't cut out completely, if the most important operations are running on a hands-off cloud, it puts strain on the IT department in any areas it still has control over. You're still left with the fallout. If you suspect such an "uprising" in your company, or it's already underway, it's something definitely worth addressubg. Any way you cut it, it's not really in the better interest of either party to go the way of the unmanaged cloud, and as evidenced by the BMC Software and Forrester Research survey, many CIOs only plan to continue on full-speed ahead. While surveys aren't entirely accurate across the board, take it as a warning sign.