Cloud app dev saves developers 1 hour of every 8

Developers are finding that building applications in the cloud saves time, but concerns remain about security and uptime, according to a newly released study.

Results of the biannual Evans Data Cloud Development Survey, conducted in December and released earlier this month, found that cloud platforms reduce overall development time by an average of 11.6 percent. Cloud development streamlines the development process, improves tools procurement, and boosts collaboration, with developers more easily able to pass code off to team members, the survey of 400 developers found. "The bottom line is these data appear to show that time savings -- efficiency -- is one of the key motivators that is driving the adoption of the cloud among developers," said Ben Hanley, Evans senior analyst.

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While about 10 percent of developers cited no time savings in using cloud environments, an almost equal amount said they had experienced more than 30 percent time savings. About 38 percent cited savings in the 11 to 20 percent range.

Developers, though, still have worries about issues like the compromising of their source code. "Security as a concern pops up throughout the survey," Hanley said. Other inhibitors to cloud adoption include fear of vendor lock-in, lack of confidence in uptime reliability, and lack of development tools optimized for the cloud.

Cloud environments being leveraged by developers in the survey include public and private clouds. Particular cloud platforms in use included Google App Engine, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Windows Azure, HP Enterprise Cloud Services, VMware vCloud, AT&T Synaptic, Salesforce.com Force.com, and NetSuite's cloud services.

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