Without a doubt The Cloud has brought on some major changes to the business world. Here are 13 cloud facts stats and predictions.

1. SMBs are looking to the cloud as an opportunity to increase overall reliability, security or compliance for critical data and applications.

2. SMBs who have adopted the cloud in 2014 overwhelmingly cite more efficient use of IT resources the ability to better support customers.

3. More than one third of SMBs with annual revenues below $5 million report they have moved critical data and applications to the cloud.

4. The cloud is often referred to as the “great equalizer”, and today many SMBs view the cloud not just as a way to reduce CAPEX, but as a means of increasing agility introducing capabilities that have been too cost- time-prohibitive to deploy on traditional technology.

5. By 2015, end-user spending on cloud services could be more than $180 billion.

6. The primary drivers for cloud adoption include the continued quest to replace aging IT infrastructure & access.

7. If given the choice of only being able to move one application to the cloud, 25% of respondents would choose storage.

8. 38% of enterprises break out cloud computing budgets while 60% include cloud-related spending as part of their enterprise IT budgets.

9. Biggest benefits for businesses adopting cloud technology are 37% improved efficiencies, 22% cost reductions,  and 11% innovation.

10. According to IBM, leading companies are 73% more likely to rapidly innovate products and services via the cloud.

11. By moving to the cloud, organizations can also easily handle swells of capacity, something that was not so simple before with traditional IT and operations,

12. According to Gartner, cloud computing is also one of the 10 strategic technology trends for 2015.

13.  According to the Computerworld Forecast Study 2015, cloud initiatives are the most important for the majority of IT departments today.