Data center company Hosted Solutions' new cloud computing service is attracting business from new and existing customers, including a regional department store chain and the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team.

The recent influx of business is expected to help push the Raleigh company's revenue to the vicinity of $50 million this year, up from $36.8 million last year, said Kip Turco, chief operating officer.

Hosted Solutions has five computer data centers that run and maintain computer servers for its customers. It also offers information technology services such as managing software applications and data recovery.

Hosted Solutions unveiled in June a new service that employs cloud computing technology that allows the company to access networks of computers over the Internet. As a result, it can serve multiple customers with the same equipment - and charges then only for the computer power that they use.

That's a big plus for customers such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose Web site traffic experiences peaks and valleys, Turco said.

Hosted Solutions also is benefitting from customers who decided in the midst of the recession to turn to out-sourcing as a cost-saving measure, said Noreen Allen, vice president of marketing.

Hosted Solutions has continued to hire despite the ailing economy. It has about 125 workers, including 90 in Raleigh, up from 110 in June and plans to hire four to six more people in the next 30 days.

Staff writer David Ranii