IMPLICATIONS
Cloud has the potential to deliver many
business benefits but these can create
opportunities and challenges for
accountants.
Opportunities
• Ease of access, scalability, data
sharing and collaboration.
• Reduced up-front costs and
management overheads.
• Fewer physical and logical space
constraints.
• Basis for developing new products
and services.
Challenges
• False perception that pay-as-you go
is ‘cheaper’ than other ways to
resource IT.
• Difficult to monitor/control/analyse
IT costs (particularly for
infrastructure).
• Inadequacy of traditional
approaches to IT cost/benefit
analysis.
• Expectation that IT systems will be
available online (often 24/7).