Study: CIOs should implement SaaS for the right reasons

While the enterprise has much to gain by adopting managed cloud services, CIOs should make sure their decision to adopt Software-as-a-Service is based on solid business considerations, rather than market hype, according to a recent report published by research firm Ovum.

According to the report, CIOs should ensure they have a clear vision of their desired business outcomes before choosing to adopt cloud services. Cloud services delivered through an SaaS model can help companies reduce costs and increase efficiency, but they ought to be adopted thoughtfully, according to the report.

Companies that adopt cloud services hastily may ultimately find they are unable to benefit from the advantages of the cloud-based model.

Ovum analyst Stephen Mann said "SaaS is now becoming a mainstream part of the corporate IT mix but using it for the right reasons, in the right places and in the right way within an organization is crucial."

CIOs looking to adopt managed cloud services may also wish to consider which vendor best suits the needs of their organization. According to a recent US Daily report, benchmarks and networking are useful tools for selecting a cloud service provider.