IT is a fashion industry, and cloud computing is the new black. Currently at the height of its hype, it will suffer a backlash before becoming fully mainstream and established, by which time a new phrase will have captured the imagination of IT pundits.

Some fashions are longer lasting than others. Cloud computing as a term may have a use-by date, but the technical, operational, and commercial innovations behind it are here to stay. Cloud computing is a real innovation in the logic of how IT is sourced and managed and how services are delivered, and its use will grow steadily over the next 12 months. It is no longer a question of whether or not enterprises will use cloud computing, they already are. However, it is still early days for both suppliers and users, many of which have yet to figure out how to take advantage of the various elements of cloud computing. There are plenty of early-adopter benefits to be gained, despite the variety of challenges that cloud computing puts in their way. Taking advantage of the new capabilities of cloud computing requires a change of mindset and the learning of new skills, both of which are better done on the basis of practical experience than academic discussion. Getting hands-on with the cloud is the best way to understand its strengths and weaknesses and its impact.

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