Ventura described Cloud computing as "seat-based outsourcing at a distance".

"We have to engineer the internal solutions and enter into Cloud arrangements that allow us to leverage services in a way we haven't anticipated," he said.

"The lead time for service provision five years ago was 90 days and it's now down to four hours for storage. We can now focus on things more material to the line of business. But as we enter into the contracts we should also think how we disengage."

And just because a company has outsourced to the Cloud it "doesn't mean you absolve yourself of responsibility of that service".

Regarding integration of Cloud and legacy systems, Ventura asked the audience to relate any experiences. One person replied: "I wouldn't do it again in a hurry."