Looks like we have, indeed, lost our guest. So I guess this chat is done. Thanks again for coming everyone, and for your patience with our technology issues. We'll see you again next time!
I posted a question that seems to have been lost in the ether. Are some insurance companies getting into covering cloud deals? If so, are they brought in by the customer or the providers?
We've had some technology and other glitches today. Which could be a form of ironic demostration by the unvierse about precisely the issues we're discussing at IE Radio today.
Mitch, if planned out enterprise cloud deployments ever get done without all agreements being read, someone needs to get fired -- or a job running HP. /rimshot/
scott - Or they'll just ignore the contract and click through, as people do with nearly all online licenses. Businesses need to understand that this is not -- as Google says -- the usual yadda yadda yadda.
Keep in mind that the customer of a cloud service is less likely to be in IT than the customer of other technical or software solutions. So a lot of the language in the contract may be difficult for them to understand.
Rodney, that's a good point. Through this discussion I've at least been thinking in terms of offcially sanctioned enterprise cloud installations. But theres also the issue of "rogue clouds" -- employees, workgroups, or departmenents entering into their own cloud arrangements without the knowledge or sanction of IT.
I tihnk it's because insurance companies feel that they can't quantify the risk. It's very technical; there are many people actively trying to compromise cloud-based systems; and the cost of a breach is very high (over $200 per record last time I looked at it, which is a couple of years already)
Mitch, I imagine that goes hand in hand with the wholeproblem of shadow IT -- devs spinning up cloud isntances willy nilly. I can't imagine a cloud strategy ending in no review of the agreements before signing.
@Scott, why do you think there are few insurance solutions? Is that because there is a worry about the security of information stored in the cloud? Or something else you can point to?
I was shocked when you said that users don't review agreements before signing up for the coud. Shocked, but not surprised -- people often don't tink things through.
Thanks everyone for joining in - please keep the questions coming as I will continue to answer over the next few hours and days! This topic is a hot topic only to get bigger as we all live through the risks that face us in working out the roles we all play in the cloud environment.
I strongly believe that the absence of insurance solutions related to the cloud has severely limited the practicality of cloud deployments by enterprises. If that issue is resolved, we'll see a jump into the cloud that dwarfs anything that's happened so far.
Mary Beth, how much risk can you place on the shoulders of the cloud providers, and is there enough variance in what they offer for indemnification to allow for companies to shop around based on risk?
The one question I was left with was: do insurance companies yet feel they have their arms around cloud risk, and are they developing/offering products to cover some of that risk?
While we wait for Mary Beth I'll get things started with a question for her: What should enterprises do to minimize risk? Can you suggest some action items?
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