Organizations that have embraced cloud computing are expected to spend no more than a third of their IT budgets on cloud services and applications by 2016, according to a new report by CDW.

The survey indicates those dollars will go primarily to “commodity applications” like conferencing and e-mail.  The most popular cloud applications are e-mail (50 percent of cloud users), file storage (39 percent), web and videoconferencing (36 and 32 percent, respectively), and online learning (34 percent), according to CDW’s Cloud Computing Tracking Poll Report, which is based on a survey of 1,200 IT professionals in the U.S.

CDW’s report also offers some insight on to what extent these organizations are using cloud services today and how that figures into their planning for the future. Eighty four percent of IT managers reported using at least one cloud application; and 84 percent of active cloud users indicate they have significantly reduced their costs by implementing cloud applications. Average savings are reported at 21 percent annually. Meanwhile, 28 percent of those surveyed are actively implementing or maintaining cloud computing, according to the report.

Yet a minority of those surveyed have formalized a plan around their cloud spending. According to CDW, just 38 percent of the organizations polled say they have formulated a strategic plan for cloud adoption. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that they, as CDW indicates, “often lack a clear understanding of the return on investment from cloud computing.” Only a third of the IT managers surveyed think cloud applications cost less than traditional applications. But CDW indicates that’s a mistake.

“With thoughtful planning, organizations can realize benefits that align directly with their organizational goals: consolidated IT infrastructure, reduced IT energy and capital costs, and ‘anywhere’ access to documents and applications,” said David Cottingham, senior director of managed services at CDW. 

 Want to learn more about cloud communications? Then be sure to attend the Cloud Communications Summit, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. The Cloud Communications Summit will address a growing need of businesses to integrate and leverage cloud based communications applications, process enhancement techniques, and network based communications interfaces and architectures. To register, click here.