Cloud computing is a concept that many Americans have likely heard about and even use on a daily basis but according to a recent survey from Wakefield Research for Citrix, the majority of respondents have virtually no idea what it is.
About 29 percent of the 1,006 people polled thought cloud computing had to do with an actual cloud, the sky or something related to weather.
Furthermore, 51 percent of those surveyed believe bad weather would interfere with cloud computing while only 16 percent correctly understood the phrase as a computer network to store, access and share data from Internet-connected devices.
A full 54 percent of Americans say they never use the cloud but after further probing, it turns out that 95 percent of respondents actually do. Almost one in three people say it's a thing of the future and 15 percent believe that only those in the tech industry use it. Both assumptions, of course, are incorrect.
One in five Americas say they have pretended to know what the cloud is or how it works while 14 percent have lied about it during a job interview. More than half (56 percent) don't think other people referring to the cloud in conversation really know what it is either.
All things aside, 68 percent feel that the cloud is a good thing after being told what it is. 35 percent recognize the cost-saving benefits and say it helps improve consumer engagement while 32 percent feel it will help with small business growth.