In this report, we’re shining the spotlight on three specific areas where IT pros are making the most of cloud-based apps: online backup, security and web hosting. What our research shows is that IT pros have similar reasons for choosing cloud-based tools – namely, that it frees them from the burden of babysitting hardware and software night and day. Learn more about EarthLink: http://earthlinkbusiness.com

1. Look Ma, No Hardware! 1
Look Ma, No Hardware!
How cloud-based IT apps are
making life easier for IT pros.
September 2013
Free IT reports on today’s hottest tech topics and trends.
Sponsored by:

2. 2 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 WHO’S ON
BOARD?
02 JUST HOW MUCH CLOUD
ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT HERE?
03 WHAT’S THE
BIG WHOOP?
04 BUT, BUT, BUT?
05 HOW DO
YOU CHOOSE?
06 WHAT’S THE
TAKEAWAY?
07 DETAILS ON
THE DATA
PAGE 06
PAGE 08
PAGE 12
PAGE 14
PAGE 16
PAGE 18
PAGE 19

4. 4 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
IT pros are finding that
cloud-based apps can make
their jobs easier, and they’re
getting on the cloud bandwagon
right along with their users.

5. Look Ma, No Hardware! 5
INTRODUCTION
In past Voice of IT reports, we’ve taken
a peek at usage and trends around cloud-
based applications like hosted email, file
sharing, productivity tools and other online
apps that end users just love. But the cloud
isn’t just for end users! IT pros are finding
that cloud-based IT apps can make their
jobs a whole lot easier, and they’re getting
on the cloud bandwagon right along with
their users.
In this report, we’re shining the spot-
light on three specific areas where IT pros
are making the most of cloud-based apps:
online backup, security and web hosting.
What our research shows is that IT pros
have similar reasons for choosing cloud-
based tools – namely, that it frees them
from the burden of babysitting hardware
and software night and day.


6. 6 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
01
WHO’S
ON BOARD?
So let’s look at the big three – online
backup, security and web hosting – and
find out who’s on board. Survey says…
For backup, 30% of IT pros who
responded to our survey state they’re
already using an online backup solution,
and another 13% are headed that way
within the next six months.
In terms of security, 41% are using
cloud-based anti-spam, and many other
cloud-based security tools are gaining
in popularity. But the big winner? Drum
roll… web hosting – one of the oldest
and most popular cloud-based services
available. 70% are using a web hosting
vendor as opposed to hosting it them-
selves, and another 3% are planning to.


7. Look Ma, No Hardware! 7
ADOPTION OF CLOUD-BASED IT APPS

8. 8 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
02
JUST HOW MUCH
CLOUD ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT
HERE?
 Online backup, security and web hosting
are making quite the impact in today’s SMBs.
Our research shows that a third of IT pros
are backing up 1 TB or more of data to the
cloud. Close to three-fourths of them are
backing up 100 GB or more.
That’s a lot of data moving through the
tubes! To look at it another way, more than
70% of respondents are backing up at least
half of their company’s total data to the cloud.

9. Look Ma, No Hardware! 9
AMOUNT OF DATA IT PROS BACK UP (OR PLAN TO BACK UP) ONLINE
% OF DATA IT PROS BACK UP (OR PLAN TO BACK UP) ONLINE

10. 10 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
In the security category, data on total TBs
is harder to come by, but we do know that IT
pros are all over the map, using cloud-based
tools to handle all manner of IT security tasks.
Anti-spam is the most popular cloud-based
security service followed by content filtering
and anti-virus.
These services may be the low-hanging
fruit when it comes to security, but IT pros are
starting to dip their toe into more advanced
cloud-based security services including mobile
policy management, patch management, Active
Directory management and single sign-on.
Anti-spam is the most popular cloud-based
security service followed by content filtering
and anti-virus.
USAGE OF CLOUD-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR SECURITY

11. Look Ma, No Hardware! 11
FREQUENCY OF REVIEWING WEB HOSTING VENDORS SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT WEB HOSTING VENDOR
As for web hosting, it looks like most
IT pros who are already in the cloud aren’t
going anywhere anytime soon. Even though
70% of respondents say they evaluate their
web hosting vendor every year, more than
70% of them said they’re either very satisfied
or extremely satisfied with their current web
hosting vendor. Somebody’s definitely doing
something right!

12. 12 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
03
WHAT’S THE
BIG WHOOP?
So, why are IT pros taking these critical
services and putting them in this no man’s land
known as the cloud? Well, that depends on which
service you’re talking about. When it comes to
online backup, 84% of respondents said they
use it because it provides the best protection
against local disasters.
While other offsite options such as tape
backup could conceivably be used to achieve
the same thing (especially if all you want to do
is archive your data), you’re not really protecting
your data until you have redundant backups
located far beyond your zip code. For these IT
pros, online backup delivers exactly that.
But what about security and web hosting?
IT pros are very clear on what appeals to them.
They use cloud-based security and web hosting
applications for two main reasons: It frees them
from the burden of maintaining hardware and
software, and it simplifies management of the
services. IT pros also see cost benefits associat-
ed with using a web hosting vendor compared
to going the DIY route.


13. Look Ma, No Hardware! 13
BENEFITS OF USING AN ONLINE BACKUP SOLUTION
BENEFITS OF USING A CLOUD-BASED SECURITY SOLUTION
BENEFITS OF USING A WEB HOSTING VENDOR

14. 14 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
04
BUT, BUT, BUT?
That’s not to say that cloud-based IT apps are
universally loved and trusted. IT pros who haven’t
converted to the cloud have concerns aplenty
about these services. For example, with online
backup, they mostly worry about heavy band-
width requirements and about data security.
But what’s interesting is that those types of
concerns don’t seem to be stopping the rest of
our respondents. Our survey showed that the vast
majority of online backup users – 90% – use it to
back up data that’s essential to daily operations or
that’s highly confidential.

CONCERNS WITH USING A HOSTED BACKUP SOLUTION

15. Look Ma, No Hardware! 15
TYPES OF DATA IT PROS BACK UP (OR PLAN TO BACK UP) ONLINE
For security and web hosting, IT pros who haven’t
made the trip to the cloud are worrying about two
main things: lack of control over infrastructure com-
ponents and lack of control over service delivery. It’s
an IT pro’s job to be a little bit of a control freak – to
make sure everything is running like clockwork so IT
is invisible to the business.
That’s why putting critical services in someone
else’s hands – or cloud – is often hard for them to
do, especially since they’re still the ones who are
on the hook if something goes wrong. The benefits
have to clearly outweigh the risks.
CONCERNS WITH USING A CLOUD-BASED SECURITY SOLUTION CONCERNS WITH USING A WEB HOSTING VENDOR

16. 16 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
05
HOW DO YOU
CHOOSE?
When it comes to choosing a vendor for
these services, the IT pros we surveyed all
shared a similar mindset. The #1 consideration
for all three of our categories was cost. It’s not
just a sign of the times – it’s a hallmark of the
SMB market. There’s just no extra money to
waste when a cheaper solution is available.
And in the case of online backup, security and
web hosting, there are literally hundreds of
solutions (and price brackets) to choose from.
After cost, reliability and security topped
the list of vendor considerations, which again
just goes to show the issues IT pros face when
they relinquish control over these services. They
want to feel as certain as possible that the ven-
dor they choose is not going to drop the ball on
a critical service that the business is counting
on them to deliver.


17. Look Ma, No Hardware! 17
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING AN ONLINE BACKUP VENDOR
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING A CLOUD-BASED SECURITY SOLUTION
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING A WEB HOSTING VENDOR

18. 18 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
06
WHAT’S THE
TAKEAWAY?
As misunderstood and as buzzwordy as it
may be, “the cloud” is here to stay. End users are
all over it – with Google Apps, Evernote, Drop-
box and other cloud-based apps just like them.
They can get done what they need to get done
without being tied to a server back at the office.
IT pros are experiencing the same phenome-
non with their own tools of the trade. Why deploy
a server and commit to its round-the-clock care
and feeding when you can do the same thing
from a cloud-based application? With the right
service, the right vendor, and the right price… the
sky really is the limit.


19. Look Ma, No Hardware! 19
You’ve just read Spiceworks’version of data
gone spicy: Our answer to humdrum data. We
tackle the tech issues of today… and what’s
coming soon to a server room near you. And
we deliver it all with more originality and spice
than your typical, run-of-the-mill reports.
Drawing from a user base of 2.5 million
IT pros, it’s a glimpse into tech you can’t get
anywhere else! Data in this report comes from
a Spiceworks survey conducted with over 600
IT pros from small and midsize organizations
in North America and Europe.
Details on the data

INDUSTRY (TOP INDUSTRIES SHOWN.) COMPANY SIZE
REGION

20. 20 Spiceworks VoIT Report : September 2013
This report was sponsored by EarthLink.
EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) is a leading IT services and communications provider
to more than 150,000 businesses and one million consumers nationwide. EarthLink
empowers customers with managed services including cloud computing, managed and
private cloud, and virtualization services such as managed hosting and cloud workspace.
EarthLink also offers a robust portfolio of IT security, application hosting, colocation and
IT support services. The company operates an extensive network spanning 29,421 route
fiber miles with 90 metro fiber rings and 8 secure data centers providing ubiquitous
nationwide data and voice IP service coverage across more than 90 percent of the
country. For more information, visit EarthLink’s website at www.earthlinkbusiness.com
or to have a brief conversation with an IT services representative, call 1-855-873-1393.
FollowEarthLink inthe
SpiceworksCommunity.

21. Look Ma, No Hardware! 21
The contents in this report are a result of primary research performed by Spiceworks. Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents distributed
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to change without notice. This report is for information purposes only. All responsibility for any interpretations or actions based on
the information or commentary contained within this report lie solely with the recipient. All rights reserved. 2013.
About Spiceworks Voice of IT®
The Spiceworks Voice of IT® market Insights program publishes stats, trends and opinions collected from small and
medium business technology professionals that are among the more than 2.5 million users of Spiceworks. Survey
panelists opt-in to answer questions on technology trends important to them. To find out more about our research
capabilities, email insights@spiceworks.com.
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PHOTO CREDITS
Page 7:
Jeff G., Systems Administrator, Spiceworks
Kris B., Director of IT, Spiceworks
Knox L., Help Desk Tech, Spiceworks
Page 8:
Garrett B., Event Marketing Coordinator, Spiceworks
Page 12-13:
Cole Lakes, Support Engineer, Spiceworks
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