[rscale]

Two key points:

1) Many companies already have most of these skills, or can acquire them cheaply and reliably via a service contract. The cloud isn't the only way to outsource operations.

2) The performance/reliability constraints imposed by certain popular cloud platforms can create very expensive development work, distracting developers from doing things that actually create value for customers.

I worked with a successful firm that was close to outgrowing their dedicated server and was considering going cloud. They sketched out an architecture that would get everything to fit into nice little EC2-shaped pieces. But there was a problem: it would take a ton of developer time.

Instead, they spent a fraction of the expected developer cost on some serious hardware, and they were done nigh on instantly. Their developers then used that saved time to do things that actually delivered more value to the customers.

The cloud is awesome when it fits, but it doesn't always fit.