Steve Jones - SSC Editor (6/11/2013)
. . . I could see all kinds of quick analysis stuff moving because it's easier or quicker to throw something up in a cloud environment if your IT group isn't responsive.
It takes IT several months to get and set up a server, even if the budget is approved. It takes literally five minutes to provision a new Azure SQL server. Bonus: if you have several, setting up load balancing takes say two minutes.
My client uses Azure for a system that tracks and reports on disposal of compostable waste at supermarkets; confidentiality is not the number one consideration.