While it might seem like cloud computing and storage are new developments in web and business technology, the concepts have actually existed as long as the Internet itself. If you're new to cloud solutions like Microsoft’s Office 365, Vorsite is proud to offer our favorite fast facts about cloud computing and storage.

1. Cloud solutions are nothing new. In 1961, Stanford professor John McCarthy became one of the first people to envision a time-share, service bureau-computing model.
2. Cloud computing is a rapidly growing solution for mobile devices. In fact, a new cloud server is added for every 600 smartphones or 120 tablets in use.
3. An estimated 41 percent of the top executives in major companies around the world claim to use the cloud to streamline some portion of their business.
4. While Vorsite has built a solid reputation offering cloud solutions to small and mid-size businesses, Microsoft has backed their solutions with plenty of capital. Around 90 percent of the Microsoft 2011 R&D budget was dedicated to cloud computing strategies and products.
5. Companies were quick to realize the true power of the cloud in the late 1990s. In 1997, NetCentric attempted to obtain a trademark on the term "cloud computing." After two years of trying, the firm eventually failed. Dell also tried in 2007, but failed as well.
6. One of the most rapid expansions to the cloud came in September 2009, when Amazon was able to launch over 50,000 virtual machine instances within 24 hours – all in the same region.
7. Google entered the enterprise cloud marketplace late when they launched Google Apps Premier Edition in early 2007.
8. SMBs that adopted the cloud for increased mobility saw 40 percent growth in revenues after one year when compared to SMBs that did not use the cloud.
9. Europe will likely be the first region of the world to unleash the true power of the Microsoft cloud, as an estimated 95 percent of all business in Europe are SMBs.
10. Conservative estimates are that a complete shift to the cloud in Europe alone could create 400,000 new businesses, as well as create 300,000 to one million new jobs within the next five years.
11. Cities are also beginning to warm up to cloud solutions from companies like Vorsite. Los Angeles estimated that a switch from Novell's GroupWise desktop software to cloud-based apps saved the city nearly $5 million in operating costs.
12. According to Larry Ellison of Oracle, "Cloud computing is not only the future of computing, but the present and the entire past of computing."