Is 2010 the year SMEs Fully Embrace Cloud Computing?

Section 3: Planning for cloud computing

Question: Which of the following measures have been put in place/will be put into place by your company to prepare for cloud computing?

Businesses are generally more aware of the various implications of moving to the cloud on their business continuity, quality of connection, bandwidth requirements, IT security etc., but awareness is still low overall.

However more businesses are implementing formal strategies for adopting the cloud; 29% this year compared to 13% previously. Small businesses are acutely more aware of the need to bolster their internet connection as they move to cloud computing, with only 8% saying they didn't think that cloud computing would affect their attitude to their internet connection.

Marginally more businesses are improving their internet connection as they adopt the cloud (19% in 2009 vs. 13% in 2008), but this is still very low. Alarmingly, the vast majority of businesses (85%) aren't putting more stringent security measures in place and 71% lack a formal strategy for using cloud computing.