Study: Cloud computing top priority for CIOs

Adoption of cloud services is the top technology priority for CIOs in 2011, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by Gartner, surveyed CIOs at companies worldwide during the last four months of 2010. More than 2,000 CIOs, from 50 countries and 38 different industries, participated in the study.

According to the study, most CIOs now expect cloud services to be adopted at a rate much faster than they once anticipated. Approximately 3 percent of CIOs said their organizations currently utilize cloud services for the majority of their IT applications. During the next four years, this is expected to increase to approximately 43 percent, the study found.

Mark McDonald, group vice president and head of research for Gartner Executive Programs, said technology such as cloud services and social networks "enable the CIO to redefine IT, giving it a greater focus on growth and strategic impact." According to McDonald, managed cloud services are beneficial for CIOs because they "offer similar service levels at lower budget costs."

The study reiterates the findings of a recent In-Stat report, which predicted that business spending on cloud computing will soar in the coming years. According to In-Stat, cloud spending is likely to reach $13 billion by 2014.