2023
CLOUD
COMPLEXITYREPORTThe cloud is a must-have for digital transformation. NetApp explored how technology
decision makers around the globe are navigating the complexity of using multiple cloudenvironments, including the challenges and the best practices that enable businesses tothrive in this new reality. The inability to manage cloud complexity can lead to poor IT
performance, loss in revenue and create barriers to business growth — but the upside ofcloud is relentless opportunity for innovation.

CLOUD
COMPLEXITYREACHES A
TIPPING POINT98%

of global tech executives report theirbusiness has been impacted byincreasing complexity of data across thecloud and these business impacts aremultiple and diverse in nature

TOP BUSINESS IMPACTS OF MANAGING
INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF DATA ACROSS
CLOUD OR MULTICLOUD ENVIRONMENTS

4544%

44%

Increased cybersecurity risk%

Increased skepticism overcloud from leadership

42Staff not taking full advantage
of business applications

37%

31%

Lack of visibility intobusiness operations%

Going overbudget

Burning out staff

TECHNICAL AND
ORGANIZATIONALBARRIERS ADD TO THE
CLOUD COMPLEXITY
DILEMMA

8850

TECHNICALORGANIZATIONAL%%

Most tech executives cite
technical challenges of working
across cloud environments

Half of tech executives reportchallenges at the leadership level

33%

32%

Data mobility between clouds

Having a clear vision forcloud strategy

31%

31%

Security & addressing risks

Establishing the right levelof governance

30%

30%

Interoperability between
cloud services

Managing costs

LEADERSHIPTECHEXECUTIVESTENSION INCREASESBETWEEN TECHEXECUTIVES AND
LEADERSHIP AROUNDCLOUD ROI
Tech executives report increased
pressure and skepticism fromleadership around cloud ROI76%
of tech executives reporttheir CFO or other businessleaders are somewhat to extremely
skeptical of seeing cost savings

8449%%of tech executives are alreadyexpected to show returns on
their cloud investments or are
under pressure to show
short-term progress

Nearly half of tech executives
report that when cloudstrategy discussions happen,
cost concerns come up often
or all the time

KEY DRIVERS THATCONTINUE TO MAKE
CLOUD ESSENTIAL
Cloud strategy is driven bydata sovereignty requirements
and ESG outcomes

74%

79%

say their multi-cloud strategy is driven
by data sovereignty requirements

say cloud strategy is very or extremely
important to ESG outcomes

TECH EXECUTIVES LOOK TO
AI AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
AI is supporting cloud deployments, and this trend continues toincrease. AI is also seen as critical to driving multi business beneﬁts.

37%

By 2023, 37% of executives report that half
or more of their cloud deployments will besupported by AI-driven applications

59%

By 2030, 59% of executives report that half
or more of their cloud deployments will besupported by AI-driven applications

TOP BENEFITS OF USING ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

38%

30%

Improved customer
experience

37%

40%

Increaseproduction rate

Greater security &risk assessment

38%

Productdevelopment

38%

Outcomeprediction

33%

Closing theskills gap

36%

Automation ofroutine activities

Boost database
query accuracy

NetApp partnered with Wakeﬁeld Research to conduct
a quantitative research study during November 2022,

among 1,300 tech and data executives at businesses in
9 markets: US, EMEA (France, Germany, Spain, the UK),and APAC (India, Japan, Singapore, and Australia/NewZealand). At the time of completion, all participants

held positions that were classiﬁed as “director-level andabove” and worked across IT, IT infrastructure, cloudinfrastructure and data engineering departments.

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