IT departments should 'follow email's lead'

Companies should not be put off outsourcing their IT and can take online email services as an example of successful cloud computing, it has been claimed.

According to Processor.com, cloud computing has become the latest industry buzzword, but the hype is clouding the long-standing successful implementations of the technology.

"No sane individual would dream of running their own mail server when web-based accounts are free, reliable, and full-featured. Likewise, a burgeoning industry has emerged providing email services to business," the website notes.

Meanwhile, a recent study carried out by Forrester Research showed that firms which fail to use managed services and email hosting could be spending more on maintaining their IT infrastructure than they need to.

Moreover, Bob Tarzey, an IT expert from Quocirca, said that outsourcing IT equipment could help mitigate the detrimental effects that the sector has on the environment.

He claimed that in-house data storage facilities often use legacy equipment and are more often than not less efficient than dedicated hosting facilities.

Written by Debra Hastings-Henry