The traditional distinctions between a business and its IT department have become increasingly blurred, according to a software firm.

James Peel, product manager at Opsview, said the divisions between the two arms were no longer distinct entities.

"It's not IT and the rest of the business – business and IT have merged and businesses depend on IT across the board," he said.

He argued that both management and the IT department must respond to this "paradigm shift" by allowing employees to use cloud services freely, although they should be careful to monitor the way the cloud is used.

"They've got to adapt the way they work and probably stop being so controlling about everything. Also, the departments and employees that are using it have got to understand that the cloud is appropriate for some things but not for others," he said.

A recent survey by CompTIA of 400 UK small and medium firms found 18 per cent were using cloud solutions, with a further 30 per cent planning to adopt them within the next year.