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UK CIOs lament lack of IT support for cloud services
Research from ElasticHosts suggests most cloud users are unhappy with the level of tech support they receive from their providers
Moving to the cloud has left three out of four users feeling dissatisfied with the level of service and support they receive, research claims.
According to a poll of 200 UK CIOs, commissioned by cloud hosting provider ElasticHosts, 93% are now using off-premise technologies, but 75% feel making the move has forced them to make sacrifices in service and support.
To reinforce this point, 33% of respondents said they feel moving to the cloud has meant forfeiting access to most IT support; while 84% said service providers could do more to reduce the maintenance burden this places on in-house IT teams.
Some of the most common gripes users shared about their experiences of using cloud support services centred on slow response times to customer queries (47%); the low-levels of tech knowledge demonstrated by callcentre staff (41%); and the use of automated phone systems (33%).
While some cloud providers offer additional support contracts, if users are willing to pay a little extra each month, ElasticHosts' research suggests most users (80%) resent having to pay a premium for it.
Richard Davies, CEO Of ElasticHosts, said the research highlights the misconceptions around how using cloud means in-house IT departments will have less work to do.
“Many companies adopt cloud so they can take away the headaches related to managing their IT, and reduce the burden on in-house IT staff. Therefore, the need for ongoing support and services will naturally be reduced, as it is outsourced,” he said.
“Yet, when using any service, you want to be able to ask questions – whether that’s to learn how to configure a server or to query a bill – and you should be able to do this without having to pay a hefty premium.”
The findings came on the back of another report into the frustrations experienced by software-as-a-service (SaaS) users by cloud firm StratoGen, as the hype surrounding the technology gives way to tales about the realities of using it.
“The industry should be doing more to help customers. Users are right to expect expert support included as standard with their cloud services,” he said.
“The first person that they contact for support should be an engineer with strong technical understanding of the service, not just a call handler.”
Read more about cloud adoption trends
Research from Harvard Business Review suggests IT departments are maintaining a firm grip on enterprise cloud deployments.
The day-to-day frustrations of cloud users have been laid bare in a new survey, which suggests high levels of discontent exist among adopters of off-premise tools and technologies.
