Microsoft Survey Finds Small Biz Just Starting Turn To Cloud

A new Microsoft Corp. survey of 1,100 companies with 249 or fewer employees finds companies still firmly fixed on IT spending that will flow directly to the bottom line -- but more intrigued than ever by cloud-based solutions.

The survey showed 68 percent thought the IT department must offer an opprtunity for the company to grow in revenue, with 66 percnet saying it must offer the ability to work anywhere at any time -- something that cloud computing enables.

The survey found that nearly a third of small and midsized businesses agree that cloud computing is an opportunity for IT to be more strateic, and that companies that embrace cloud computing are innovative. Nearly a quarter, 24 percent, called cloud computing a technology revolution. However, only 16 percent of the businesses say they have a cloud computing project planned or underway.

Considering all cloud-based tools, the businesses said they were most likely to be employing or planning to employ cloud email and communication tools (30 percent) or cloud based backup and storage (18 percent).

And the top reasons small and midsized businesses might be willing to buy into cloud services was because they were free (41 percent), they offer a low total cost of ownership (39 percent) and that they offer more reliable security and integrate with existing technology investments (36 percent each).

Among those businesses who actually have bought into cloud services, 44 percent said they did so because it was free, 42 percent because it offered a low total cost of ownership, 39 percent because it offered a flexible per-use payment method, and 33 percent because it enabled and supported a remote work force.