As 2012 winds down and large corporations are beginning to turn the page to 2013, it's a good exercise to take a look at how the business environment could change in the upcoming year. While there are a number of ways big companies can change, digging deeper into how cloud will play a role in business functions could be a smart practice. Each year, cloud computing seems to assume a larger role in the workplace, and 2013 is a year that many experts are projecting the cloud to take an even more pronounced leap.

Companies will covet employees with cloud skills
The growth of cloud computing is forcing many businesses to move at least some of the processes to the online storage solution, making it even more important to have employees who know how to use the cloud.  According to a recent whitepaper from the International Data Corporation, the demand for "cloud-ready" IT workers will grow by 26 percent annually through 2015.

"Despite modest growth of the IT sector overall in the U.S., cloud-ready jobs are increasing as we head into 2013, but with this increase comes the harsh reality that workforces around the world are steps behind when it comes to attaining the skills necessary to thrive in the cloud computing industry," said Cushing Anderson, program vice president at the IDC.

The cloud will take the lead on most business functions
CEOs at large corporations who have yet to begin using the cloud are aware of the cost savings and improved levels of productivity that it can bring to their firm, but may have been scared to use it because of security concerns. Now that cloud providers have been able to fix many flaws in the infrastructure of the cloud, Forbes predicts that the solutions will no longer be known as "the alternative work environment."

It will be commonplace for firms to run their business planning software in the cloud, as well as their hosted email services. With the advent of business apps, CEOs will be able to run any process that they wish in the online storage solution. Another advantage that the cloud is already bringing to companies is the ability to employ a mobile workforce. All employees need is a username and password and they are able to enter their companies' cloud environment.

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