But significant challenges stand in the way of fully realizing the potential of the cloud to enable technology-driven business strategies.

A new study report developed by the Business Performance Innovation Network, in partnership with DBM Cloud Systems, highlights both the huge advantages and significant obstacles companies face in embracing multi-cloud strategies. These challenges include such issues as more effectively managing cost, complexity, performance, compliance, business continuity, data and application migration, and more.

This report also looks at how enterprises are leveraging the cloud to keep pace with dramatic growth in unstructured data and the need to cost efficiently manage it to improve business intelligence, customer responsiveness and application performance. Feature perspectives are included from IT and technology leaders embracing the cloud-first mentality, including executives from Viacom, Coca-Cola, DHL Supply Chain, US Gas & Electric, Embraer, and Jubilant Pharma.