Cloud applications adoption: User study survey from industry and academia

Abstract

Cloud computing has changed the ways software systems are developed, deployed, and managed. Even though cloud computing could reduce cost, time to market, and increase the scalability of applications and systems, there are some debates about the actual adoption of cloud computing in general and cloud applications in particular by organizations from both, industry and academia, and whether stakeholders of organizations look for them as opportunities or risks. To answer these debates, we conducted a user study that included professionals from industry and academia, with various experience levels and job-roles, to be able to get a common understanding of the real value of cloud computing. In particular, the study included questions about the preferred approach of developing green-field applications and the availability of resources and expertise. In addition, it included questions about the cost of development, maintainability, and operations of cloud applications. The results of the user study are presented and discussed, and we believe that it is promising and could be used as the base of future directions of research and technology innovation.