IDG just published a very concise summary of some of the myths about cloud computing that regularly do the rounds.  Written by HP and Intel, it’s a very quick read, but useful reminder of some of the key topics related to the adoption of cloud computing.

Here are the main points:

Myth #1: The public cloud is the most inexpensive way to procure IT services

As our own analysis has shown, when your workloads are running constantly and you already have a private cloud or data center, you’re better sticking with what you have than moving to the cloud.  One of the key benefits of the cloud is flexibility and agility, not necessarily cost.

Myth #2: Baby steps in virtualization are the only way to reach the cloud

Not sure about this one.  I wonder how many IT departments would really make it a step-function move to virtualization without first moving a targeted group or portion of the data center first.

Myth #3: Critical applications do not belong in the cloud

An excellent point.  There is no reason a mission critical job should not be migrated to the cloud - if you need the compute to meet an immediate need, then why not?  The question is, “which cloud, and how?”.

Myth #4: All cloud security requirements are created equally

Not sure if I’d use this particular title.  Essentially - make sure you understand what are the real threats and manage the migration accordingly, mitigating risks appropriately.

Myth #5: There is only one way to do cloud computing

In such a nascent field, how could there possibly be only one way to execute a cloud strategy?