This IDC study highlights demand-side results of customer perception of top criteria and providers they would select if procuring cloud-based application development or testing services. The results of this study indicate that full service outsourcers' experience and expertise is highly regarded when it comes to selecting a reliable service provider that can offer scalability, reliability, performance, and SLA management. End-user benefits, challenges, and adoption trends are also highlighted in the use of virtual environments for testing or platform as a service. While customers are experiencing some positive operational and financial advantages tied to the use of virtual cloud-based platforms, they are equally concerned with the limitations and challenges posed by these environments.

"Success as a provider in cloud-based application services will require players to prove themselves in the areas of reliability, security, availability, performance, and SLA management. Large enterprises, across all industry sectors, are concerned with the support and stability they need to rely on as they look to scale applications in a private, public, or hybrid cloud-like environment," says Rona Shuchat, director of Application Outsourcing Services.