I Can, But I Won't

Cloud computing is one of the hottest topics in Information Technology accounting for growth in IT spending with global revenues surging to over $130 billion in 2013. According to the Federal CIO, the U. S. Government is considered the world's largest purchaser of information technology with spending more than $76 billion per year. Since the commercial industry uses cloud computing to reduce costs, optimize business functions and collaborate on real-time data for decision making, should the Department of Defense implement cloud computing? Research examined the possibility that cloud computing is not seen as a viable technology and if the IT professionals in the DoD who are unwilling to implement cloud computing. Data from a survey of DoD IT professionals was compared to data from a survey from the commercial industry and was used in a model to determine perceived viability and perceived willingness to implement the technology. Perceived viability of cloud computing is determined by the cost, organizational inertia and the fit of the technology with the organization. The perceived willingness is only partially measured by the viability. Perceived willingness is an attitude toward the technology and changing that attitude towards could assist with the willingness to implement the technology.