There is a famous scene in the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy where Zaphod Beeblebrox emerges unscathed from the Total Perspective Vortex. If you are not familiar with this concept take a look at this clip from the original BBC radio series.
Douglas Adams' genius was the reductio ad absurdum of every day life. He lampoons our propensity to trot out phrases like getting things in perspective without giving them a first let alone a second thought.
Another curio is our ability to take the same data set and interpret this radically differently depending on whether we see a glass as half empty or half full.
Case in point - Jim Ottewill's take on a recent study released by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), which questioned companies from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), about their plans for using cloud computing in the future.
When asked to comment on his article in bobsguide.com by our PR agency Articulate Communications he got my full attention with his provocative title Cloud Computing Risks Outweigh Benefits, New Report Finds.
However when I read the article I was struck by the fact that based on the data points cited I could have concluded the opposite:
Cloud Computing Benefits Outweigh Risks, New Report Finds
Three quarters of businesses which use cloud computing believe that the positives associated with the technology are greater than the risks, a new report has revealed.
Findings from a study by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), which questioned companies from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), showed that nearly two thirds (64.4 per cent) are planning on using cloud computing in the future.
Of those planning to use cloud computing, 14.6 per cent will be adopting the solution for use with “mission critical” services which is a very healthy percentage given this is still a developing technology.
Clearly what you are looking for has a major influence on how you interpret what you are seeing. In this case I guess you could say I am a glass half-full kind of guy.
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