Cloud computing, the buzzword du jour, has shown significant staying power. Initially ridiculed by some as yet another technological flash in the pan, cloud computing appears to be here to stay and also to be the future of computing in general. As more computing - and more information - moves off the desktop and into the cloudy ether, users are both enthralled by the new capabilities cloud computing offers and worried about its stability and security.

Last year, market intelligence firm IDC released a study that predicted 25 percent of IT spending will be geared toward cloud computing resources. IDC also surveyed 244 IT executives and CIOs to get their thoughts on cloud computing. Participants were asked what they thought the benefits of cloud computing were and identify the risks they associate with it. The survey results suggest cloud computing faces significant obstacles to reaching widespread acceptance.

The report noted other findings, including; "[cloud computing] users clearly see cloud services as an important answer to their need for speed - in their businesses, and consequently in the IT that supports their businesses." The survey results show three-quarters of respondents rank security as their No.1 cloud computing concern, with cloud performance right behind.