The research firm Forrester has released its top cloud technology predictions for 2013. In the latest results of its Forrsights Surveys, Forrester claims at least 50 percent of firms in Europe and America are planning budgets that include cloud investments in 2013.

These findings not only mark the end of speculations about the staying power of the cloud but, equally importantly, indicate a change in the approach toward cloud computing.

According to a CloudTimes article, Forrester predicts business organizations will make more architecturally realistic decisions about cloud deployments. Businesses have realized that the one-size-fits-all approach is not always the best practice when it comes to cloud computing investments. This means that rather than following trends, firms will have more feasible expectations of their cloud deployments and as such will choose the cloud model best suited for their own needs.

Therefore, businesses will invest in the cloud using the right use model. There will be an increased emphasis on IT managers to monitor available cloud resources, analyze their organization's IT demands, and adjust cloud deployments to balance cost against required performance of the technology.

Forrester further predicts mobile and big data will drive cloud computing in such a way that businesses can leverage existing data to drive new revenue streams and cut costs.

Cybersecurity has emerged as a growing challenge to enterprises and the cloud opens businesses to even greater security vulnerabilities. Forrester believes mounting pressure from the business community might push congress to propose cybersecurity policies in 2013.

As for cloud vendors, the report finds that more businesses are now looking beyond the major cloud vendors. While Amazon remains the largest cloud vendor, more firms in need of diversified and customized cloud applications will look for small and midsize cloud providers in the new year. Three Openstack-based cloud services are slated for a 2013 release, and this will further drive interests in customized cloud platforms.

According to Forrester, 2013 will bring wider cloud options that businesses can employ. Coming as good news to small and midsize firms, it is expected that the technology will become more secure and more affordable.

As cloud becomes more accessible, unleashing the maximum return on cloud spending will still require IT managers to employ a strategic approach toward cloud computing. Increasing security threats mean that firms will continue to use on-premise IT platforms for the most security sensitive processes, while cloud technology use will be expanded for data-intensive and agility-sensitive processes.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.