Over the past two decades, certain players in cloud computing have lost credibility by putting their interests ahead of real client value. Big consulting firms boasted vendor awards like “Partner of the Year,” but were often rewarded more for selling providers' technology than delivering the best solutions to clients. Many took finder’s fees or other monetary incentives, steering enterprises into expensive, overengineered platforms optimized for quota, not business outcomes. Public cloud providers also share blame, promising radical cost savings and agility while hiding the complexity, hidden fees, and risk of vendor lock-in, leaving businesses with spiraling costs and inflexible architectures. Meanwhile, too many IT executives jumped on the cloud bandwagon out of fear of missing out, rather than building thoughtful strategies aligned to their organizations’ needs.

After years of costly implementations that failed to deliver the promised value, enterprises have grown wise to these self-serving tactics. They’re turning away from hype, seeking independent, vendor-neutral advisors, or growing expertise in-house. Today, businesses demand transparency, tailored strategies, and a clear focus on business results over sales quotas, trophies, or buzzwords. Moving forward, only those providers, vendors, and leaders who prioritize real value and honest guidance will earn lasting trust in the cloud computing industry.