With all the buzz around cloud computing and cloud services, perhaps it’s no surprise that a poll of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) reckon it will be the most over-hyped technology this year, even ahead of Windows 7 or Google apps.

 

The survey, by leading IT portal Silicon.com, goes on to say that less than one in 10 of the tech chiefs responding listed software-as-a-service or grid and utility computing as one of their technology priorities for this year.

 

While the survey is right in one way – there certainly has been a lot of speculation and coverage of cloud computing – hype doesn’t mean the technology will not take off.  What’s more, it looks like it’s set to take off at the small business end of the market.

 

We’ve just completed a survey (we will release the full findings shortly) that shows 54% of UK small businesses will be using cloud software solutions for key functions by the end of 2010.  The economic downturn is driving companies to seek alternatives to traditional business software.

 

Perhaps the telling aspect of the Silicon survey is technology that CIOs rated as overhyped in previous years.  In 2008, it was the iPhone – a spectacular success – and in 2007 AND 2006, Windows Vista.  OK, Vista is flawed, but can’t be ignored.  So, hyped the technology may be.  But that doesn’t mean it won’t succeed.