By 2020, the data and applications that most people use will be housed in the cloud rather than on PCs, according to a survey of around 900 technology experts and observers, sponsored by the Pew Research Center.

71 percent of these experts predict we’ll be working primarily through web-based and mobile apps, such as Facebook and Google Docs, and less on software installed on our own desktops.

The survey predicts that in the next 10 years, there will be a heavy migration toward working via networked devices, and data will be stored largely on remote servers operated by third parties.

Benefits? Easy, instant and individualized access to applications and data anytime, anywhere.

The advantage of instant access to information regardless of device, operating system or location is a huge factor in the dominance of web apps over desktop apps. “The cloud” is accessible from work, from home, from any location with an Internet connection, and increasingly, from our ever-smarter mobile devices.

Who wouldn’t find that kind of postmodern fluidity appealing? We’re no longer tied to offices for work, nor are our social activities locked away at home.

[Experts say we'll be working in the 'cloud' by 2020]

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Tags | cloud, cloud computing, study