Cloud computing is a term that is thrown around fairly freely

Cloud computing is a term that is thrown around fairly freely; however, the subject remains shrouded in an air of confusion. Many people have a limited understanding of the subject, which in turn has led to many common misconceptions. The following article will debunk seven of the most common cloud computing misconceptions in a bid to reduce confusion.

The cloud solves everything
Cloud-computing (or whatever else you want to call it) doesn't solve everything.
As I mentioned above, cloud computing has received a lot of attention in recent years. While browsing through the masses of information on the Internet, one thing became clear - people are expecting too much. This is partly down to the hype, publicity and hyperbole surrounding the subject. Although some cloud solutions have the potential to benefit budgetary, management and IT resources, it is unlikely to be the holy messiah that solves all business issues. When considering a particular service for your business, it is important to understand what it does and how it will benefit your business; but expect nothing more.
The cloud is a single entity
The cloud is spoken about as though it is a single entity, this has led to many people believing that cloud computing is a one size fits all solution to business and IT issues. In reality, this isn't the case.
The great thing is that it is tailored to each individual client and is a very adaptable solution.
The Cloud is a Fad
The term may be a relatively new introduction, but the technology behind it has been around for many years. Although adoption has not been as speedy as some expected, growth has been steady and industry forecasts predict that steady growth will continue. Cloud computing (the term and the technology) isn't going anywhere.
Cloud computing is unreliable
The cloud will not have 100% uptime, but neither will any other system. However, the uptime to costs ratio shows that cloud is likely to give a far higher level of reliability when compared with similarly priced in-house systems.
Another myth is the 100% uptime that some vendors promise. As I mentioned above, that is just not realistic. This is just a tactic to make clients feel more at ease than they should and is damaging to the industry's reputation
Cloud computing is only for SME's
It is undeniable that SME's are usually quicker to adopt new technology than large-scale enterprises, but the notion that a company can be too big to make use of the cloud is laughable. Larger businesses usually have far larger IT budgets compared to SME's, so it is arguable that enterprises can make more use of it
By hosting data in the cloud, I relinquish sole ownership
This point is partly dependent on the provider in question, however, any reputable provider will have a clause written into the contract which explicitly states that the client retains sole ownership of any data stored. Although, it is still worth reading the fine print of the contract before signing it, the last thing you'd want to do is sign ownership of your data over to somebody else.