IDC, the premier global provider of market intelligence services for the IT industry seems to think so.

IDC announced their top ten predictions for the Australian IT Services market in 2010 and cloud computing was a recurring theme.

“Cloud computing represents a new dawn in enterprise computing and business leaders are beginning to ready their companies for the big changes that lie ahead,” said Matthew Oostveen, IDC research manager and analyst. “Facilitating this change will be services organisations from consultants to systems integrators.”

IDC feels cloud computing has reached the tipping point for widespread adoption of cloud services in 2010. And they’re not the only ones (ZDNet, ComputerWorld, Application Development Magazine and Cloudcast)

How is your company harnessing the game-changing power of cloud computing in 2010 and beyond?

In a recent ComputerWorld article, Kwok Suk-wah, CIO of AON Hong Kong, discusses fear of data security, a common obstacle to cloud adoption.

“People think that if you outsource, you lose control of your data and assets,” she said. “I’ve been using this home-cleaning analogy to explain to others how we should approach cloud computing. Say that you’re considering whether to hire a cleaning lady to clean your windows or to do it yourself. You’ll soon realize that the cleaning lady can do the job five times faster and better than you do. But then you also worry about your valuables might be stolen. Like hiring a cleaning lady, there are many privacy and security concerns of adopting cloud computing, and yet these third-parties do the job much cheaper and cleaner than if you do it yourself. Don’t discard the idea—instead, take necessary precautions,” concluded Kwok.”

Thankfully, Salesforce / Force.com security is extremely rigorous. Reduced cost, less worry – hell, it could even help you sleep a little better.