Small business uses mostly cloud storage (67%), and hosting web sites (56%), according to a recent study that was carried out by people who are working in leading IT and dedicated hosting companies. Organized in recent months in two steps, a survey of more than 300 small business managers showed that the above mentioned two areas are most popular among SMBs, and they are followed by business continuity and customer relationship management (39%).

As the results of the study, most small businesses, which created cloud infrastructure, carried out in a cloud of 10-30% of the time (44%). If 11% of respondents said they did not spend time on the clouds, the other 11% claim to dedicate the use of cloud technology more than 50% of the time.

The study also showed the lack of consensus about the benefits of cloud services. Costs have been identified and as a chief virtue, and as the main obstacle to the development of this technology. Surveys conducted earlier this month during an exhibition and as well as through the Internet, demonstrate that the defects promote the benefits of clouds to contain the spread of cloud technology.

Of the more than 300 specialists participated in the survey, 93% believe that they are able to explain the nature of cloud providers. However, almost 43% of respondents said their organizations still do not use the cloud. Those who use the point to cost savings, mobile access and ease of management of infrastructure as a major advantage (42%). At the same time, 54% refer to the related costs as the main obstacle to the development of clouds.

Research shows that there are barriers for organizations to use solutions based on cloud technologies and uncertainty regarding the deployment of clouds and their benefits. It is clear that companies need a more active learning and familiarity with examples of real-world deployment. This is evidenced by most of the answers.

I believe that the industry requires sharing of best practices that companies can evaluate scenarios using real clouds. They have a need to see the benefits that companies derive similar size, belonging to the same industry and with similar infrastructure, with whom they could relate and compare myself.