Cloud computing applications cannot offer the flexibility that hosted IT can, but the other benefits outweigh the small sacrifices, according to Internet Evolution.

Companies who think that their operations will suffer if they make the switch need only look to Salesforce.com, which has revolutionized customer relationship management and become one the world's largest SaaS vendors. Before the company came about, organizations had other ways of tracking customer activity and managing data. Since, organizations have altered their operations around Salesforce and saved both money and time in the process.

"While they will never be as customizable as legacy applications, a growing number of organizations are willing to sacrifice infinite customization for reasonable configuration capabilities, more rapid deployment, lower hidden development/support costs, greater utilization levels, quicker time to value and higher satisfaction," Jeffrey Kaplan of Think Strategies, an IT consulting firm, told Internet Evolution.

As cloud computing grows, the capabilities and services offered by companies are also growing. Google recently announced its Apps Marketplace, which will likely provide organizations a number of potential products that were not available in years past.ADNFCR-2553-ID-19672881-ADNFCR