The results of a new study show that cloud computing, even though it has only been in the mainstream consciousness for a few years, is quickly taking over the budgets of IT department of all kinds of businesses. These new findings, combined with some forward-looking statements from companies like HP, prove that the cloud is becoming an integral part of business life.

Cloud Computing Spending

A new study from IDG Enterprise, which solicited answers from 1,650 IT and business leaders, looked at how businesses are dealing with the cloud now that it has exited the buzzword stage and entered the vocabulary of just about every IT department around the world. According to this Forbes article, IT departments have now allocated slightly more than a third of their budgets to cloud computing solutions.

On top of that number, almost two-thirds of the respondents report that they will increase their cloud spending over the next year by an average of 16 percent. These predictions could result in cloud computing spending easily taking over half of IT budgets within just a few years. Most of the survey respondents reported that they expect to receive long-term cost savings from their cloud investments, a major consideration for those still considering a move to the cloud, although 7 out of 10 report that security is still a major barrier to cloud adoption.

Cloud Computing Adoption and Growth

The study results aren't without their issues, however. When asked about how cloud solutions are being deployed, the most common answer was a private cloud deployment within the confines of the data center. This trend toward private clouds also looks to grow in the near future. Private clouds do have the benefit of giving businesses hands-on experience with cloud-based solutions, but they lack some of the elasticity and smart resource management that the public cloud has to offer.

Regardless of issues, cloud computing continues to grow at a rapid pace, and it will be interesting to see how the technology changes over the next year. As noted in this InfoWorld article, HP had some interesting ideas on what the future of the cloud will be when the company unveiled its latest cloud offering. According to the company's executives, the wide array of cloud providers will dwindle down to somewhere between 10 and 20 large providers, and those will have interoperable systems and a base set of quality levels. It was also suggested that most cloud deployments will eventually be hybrid models, combining public and private cloud solutions.

However the future of the cloud takes shape, it's important for midsize business leaders to understand that it isn't just about the technology. One of the most important pieces to take away from the IDG Enterprise study is that a number of respondents believe that the cloud will play a big role in the future of business strategy. Instead of just being a new way to provide IT solutions, the cloud is now becoming a force to be reckoned with in the business world, and executives or IT managers who fail to grasp that concept risk falling behind.

The future of the cloud is here, and IT departments need to start experimenting with what this new technology has to offer, and begin getting IT personnel up to speed. Even with strong predictions for growth, next year's numbers could show even more cloud adoption. Those who decided to sit on the sidelines and wait this technology revolution out due to minor concerns could easily find themselves out of options.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. Become a fan of the program on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.