As a follow up to our last cloud related post, I wanted to share some new statistics that reflect cloud technology’s current impact on U.S. based businesses. The numbers I’ll be sharing suggest the cloud model is on its way to becoming a standard practice with indisputable benefits. However, some of these statistics also indicate that many companies still don’t know as much as they would like to about cloud related technology. So, while all indications point to cloud computing being a winning bet, I would like to encourage businesses to start slow and do adequate research before jumping into the cloud. The advantages have been proven, but it’s still necessary to utilize a strategy that suits your operation.

The following statistics were recently released by the IT association, CompTIA. Except where noted, this information comes from their 2nd annual “Trends in Cloud Computing” study, which surveyed 400 IT firms and an additional 500 business professionals who are responsible for IT decisions within their companies.

• 56% of current cloud users plan to increase cloud investment by more than 10% in the next year.

• 56% of small and medium businesses use cloud solutions for collaboration/project management. (Source: 3rd Annual Small and Medium Business Technology Adoption Trends)

• 4 in 10 respondents made money from cloud integration work within the last 12 months.

• 66% of end users would like a clearer definition of cloud computing (up 6% from last year).

• 1 in 5 firms has a partial roadmap or no roadmap for their cloud business plan.

The study found that users desired a better understanding of types of cloud technologies, such as software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. In addition, users wanted more info on deployment models such as public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid models. If your business is interested in learning more on these topics, start by taking a look at our blogs: Migrating to the Cloud, and Services in the Cloud. And as always, feel free to comment or email us to ask questions or share your experience!