Despite research suggesting that over half of British businesses are still habouring some concerns surrounding the cloud, it has been indicated that an additional 53 per cent of firms will be using it within a year.

23 per cent of chief information officers questioned by KPMG had already adopted cloud computing and were therefore making full use of features such as SaaS (Software as a Service).

Steve Salmon, who is principal adviser at the professional service network, claimed that firms were finally beginning to understand the benefits of the cloud.

Speaking to Fresh Business Thinking, he said: "With a measured approach, innovative organisations will be in a strong position to benefit from cloud services without exposing themselves to un-necessary risks.

"The challenge for CEOs and their IT teams is to harness the technology in a way that fosters growth, yet retains security. What matters now is that businesses are in a position to innovate without compromising the needs of their employee or customer data."

In a previous interview with silicon.com, Salmon challenged businesses to take on cloud computing as early as possible in order to position themselves as innovators.