Another factor preventing SMBs from adopting the cloud is cost.

The study revealed that almost half of the respondents in the eight Asia Pacific markets surveyed are planning to implement the cloud within the next 18 months. However, 53 per cent of SMBs see limited funding as a hindrance to implementation even as they consider the cloud a "priority".

The study also revealed that 68 per cent of organisations with less than 50 personal computers (PCs) have no plans of adopting the cloud even as businesses with more than 500 PCs have said they have adopted the cloud or were planning to do so.

The study revealed that other hindrances to adopting the cloud include fears of data security and unauthorised access.

Even then, Microsoft is encouraging SMBs to consider cloud computing, even offering a low start-up cost to implement it.