(From Fierce Enterprise Communications) -- Most Americans believe that the "workplace of the future" will be cloud based, according to a recent survey by Wakefield Research sponsored by cloud-based communications firm Citrix.

In addition, a majority of the 1,000 American adults surveyed by Wakefield Research recognized the economic benefits of cloud computing, with 32 percent citing it as a catalyst for small business growth.

At the same time, most Americans are cloudy about what cloud computing is, with a majority saying they never use cloud computing. Yet 95 percent of the respondents said they use services--such as online banking, online shopping, social networking, and online games--that are cloud based.

Respondents who limit their use of the cloud or avoid it altogether cited cost, security, and privacy concerns as the main reasons for their cloud phobia.

"This survey clearly shows that the cloud phenomenon is taking root in our mainstream culture, yet there is still a wide gap between the perceptions and realities of cloud computing," said Kim DeCarlis, vice president of corporate marketing at Citrix. "The most important takeaway from this survey is that the cloud is viewed favorably by the majority of Americans, and when people learn more about the cloud they understand it can vastly improve the balance between their work and personal lives."

According to a separate survey conducted by Spiceworks and sponsored by EMC, a social network for IT professionals, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly turning to cloud-based applications and services to improve employee productivity and reduce IT costs.

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