Be Ready To Address Security

Despite the growth in cloud, security remains an issue, years after the technology went mainstream, Unisys said. And, 27 percent of survey respondents said their companies need experienced third-party help with security.

Solution providers must continue to be prepared to address security concerns, since 42 percent of survey respondents cited security as the most challenging aspect of cloud management, far outweighing other concerns.

One option to address could be cloud access security brokering (CASB), a market that's expected to more than double by 2020, from $3.34 billion in 2015 to $7.51 billion, according to research firm Markets and Markets. CASB vendors act as intermediaries between end users and cloud applications, providing platforms with added security through APIs or proxies.