• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, April 6, 2011

Based on the results of a new GfK Business & Technology online survey of 1,000 adults, nearly half of consumers are aware of the "cloud," but only 9% acknowledge that they fully understand it. According to IMS Research, there will be a greater need for consumers to move their data to cloud-based services as the growth of connected devices is expected to reach 22 billion within the next decade.

Cloud computing is used to describe applications and services hosted and run on servers connected to the internet that end users do not have to maintain or support. Consumers are increasingly in need of cloud-based services with data spread across multiple devices, including laptops, cell phones and tablet computers. As 4G data networks begin to roll out over the next year, consumers will be consuming and needing to access greater amounts of data across all of their connected devices.

 However, while there is a general understanding of what the cloud is, 62% are either not aware of the cloud or aware but do not understand it. Interest in storing data within the cloud is significantly higher in younger than in older consumers, with approximately 60% of users between the ages of 18-35 interested in moving their data to the cloud. In older age groups, though, that number drops significantly, with only an average of 25% of users over the age of 50 interested in moving their data to the cloud.

Rob Barrish, senior vice president of GfK Business & Technology, says "Consumers... now facing similar challenges... faced by enterprises in needing to securely manage massive amounts of data... when rolling out cloud-based services... marketers (should) keep in mind that consumers want to be able to access content on all of their devices across multiple platforms."

 Concerns among consumers about moving their data to the cloud include:

• 61% of the consumers surveyed by GfK say that they are concerned about the security of their content if they were to store it in the cloud
• 47% of consumers surveyed say they would never use the cloud unless they have a simple and easy way to store their content
• 39% say they are concerned about the ability to play content on different devices from the cloud 

This statistic in particular points to the need for greater compatibility and accessibility to content across devices, so that the same content purchased for one device can be accessed across multiple devices.

 Barrish concludes by noting that "Because security of the data within the cloud is the biggest concern across all age groups... (must be  addressed) up front when communicating the benefits of using cloud-based apps and services... (and) there's an overall need for greater education about the cloud... to move consumers from general understanding to utilization."

 For more about the survey, please visit gfk America here