And the top five cloud computing applications for 2010 are…

That's the unsurprising view of cloud back-up and recovery software firm Asigra and analyst IDC. Asigra executive vice president Eran Farajun says that companies are making the shift toward cloud for several easons – including "reduced capital expense, simple deployment, data mobility and continuous access to the latest software features and functionality". Cloud applications, he says, also enable firms to quickly harness the power of any new IT platform to streamline operations as the economy recovers. "The economic downturn has forced firms to cut costs across the board, including investments in IT equipment and staff. Most economists expect business to rebound in 2010, but many companies no longer have the finances to buy the hardware and software needed to take advantage of the recovery," explains Farajun. "By using cloud-based services, companies are taking advantage of shared hardware and software resources to meet the needs of their customers and their prospects. They can buy as much or as little computing power as they need," he adds. Meanwhile, Richard Villars, vice president of storage and IT executive strategies at IDC, comments: "We find that organisations dealing with rapid data growth, extended data retention periods and the economic realities of lower capital and operational expenditures are among the leading shapers and users of cloud."