Cloud Computing: Benefits and Drawbacks

This assignment analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing, using Netflix as a case study to illustrate its real-world impact. It delves into how cloud technology empowers organizations while also highlighting potential challenges. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of cloud computing in practical organizational settings.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Business Research Methodology
Advantages and disadvantages of using cloud computing: An example of Netflix
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Project Objective.............................................................................................................................2
Project Scope...................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review............................................................................................................................3
Research Questions/Hypothesis.......................................................................................................4
Primary Question.........................................................................................................................4
Secondary Questions...................................................................................................................5
Research Design and Methodology.................................................................................................5
Types of qualitative research method..............................................................................................5
Approaches to reliability and Validity.............................................................................................6
Sampling..........................................................................................................................................7
Sample Size.....................................................................................................................................7
Data Collection Method...................................................................................................................7
Ethical Considerations.....................................................................................................................8
Research Limitations.......................................................................................................................8
Time Schedule (Research plan).......................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
The cloud computing is a new trend which gives access to several pools of configurable
resources as well as higher level services over the internet (Sanaei et al. 2014).This technique
depends on sharing of the various resources so that an adequate level of coherence as well as
economy of scale would be achieved. The cloud computing typically allows the companies to
reduce the costs of IT infrastructure. This also allows the companies to get their IT applications
run in a smooth manner so that they can be managed in an advanced manner. Netflix is one of
the world’s leading television network in television where there are over 93.8 million members
and they are present in almost 190 countries (Netflix 2017).
This paper would aim to understand the advantages as well as disadvantages of cloud
computing by analysing the example of Netflix. A practical mode of research would be carried
out to understand the various aspects of the research topic.
Project Objective
The primary objective of the paper is to analyse the various advantages as well as
disadvantages of using cloud computing through the practical example of Netflix. The various
benefits as well as backlogs of using the cloud computing services would be analysed. The
interconnection of the cloud computing services with Netflix would be ascertained. The
secondary objective of the research paper is to understand the real usage of cloud computing and
how it can be used in the real organizations.

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Project Scope
This research paper would explore the various positive and negative uses of the cloud
computing services and how they are being demonstrated in Netflix. This research would mainly
focus on the various literature review gaps in the field of cloud computing and how it can be
used for the benefit of the organizations.
Literature Review
Cloud storage is considered as a service in which the data is remotely maintained, backed
up and managed in which the users are able to store the files in an online server, so that they can
be accessed from any location (Hashem et al. 2015). The third-party clouds help the
organizations to concentrate on the core business processes and not on increasing the resources
based on the computer maintenance and infrastructure.
Netflix was created in the year 1997 and it is considered as one of the biggest
entertainment corporation in which there is a lot of demand for streaming media and video-on-
demand (Netflix 2017). The company is known to have gained competitive advantage through
the effective implementation of the cloud computing. There are various advantages of cloud
computing that can be witnessed in Netflix. There is a considerable amount of cost saving of the
companies when they start using cloud computing services (Rittinghouse and Ransome 2016).
This is because of the fact that the companies are able to add numerous virtual servers as well as
storage together, which decreases the cost of the operations. Netflix uses cloud computing
services to manage their data in a better way as it allows the offering of the data to the global
audience in an easy manner (Rittinghouse and Ransome 2016). Cloud computing provides

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flexibility of data at a faster speed. Netflix also uses the technology of Hadoop Clusters so that
they can improve the quality as well as reliability of data. Cloud computing also improves the
data recovery process from any kind of disasters as well as there is a process of data recovery
(Rittinghouse and Ransome 2016). The cloud computing is also known to have automatic
software updates including new service features and new security updates.
There are many disadvantages of the cloud computing services such as security of data.
The data on the cloud servers has the risk of getting attacked by cyber criminals (Avram 2014).
Netflix also has the risk of getting hacked by the cyber criminals and there have been instances
of data breach. The company also faces the issue of reduction in customer satisfaction due to the
downtime of the servers. The cloud computing services also provides least control of their
services as they are being controlled by a third party (Rittinghouse and Ransome 2016). The
concept of cloud computing services such as Netflix requires constant connection with the data
network and cannot be operated alone.
The literature review failed to analyse the way Netflix uses cloud computing to reduce
the cost of their operations. It also failed to link the exact disaster recovery process witnessed in
Netflix. The process of automatic software updates for Netflix is being done by Amazon, but the
exact process of software update is not known.
Research Questions/Hypothesis
Primary Question
1) What are the various advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing that can be
witnessed in Netflix?

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Secondary Questions
1) What are the benefits and shortcomings of cloud computing in the organizations?
2) What are the various uses of cloud computing in Netflix?
3) How cloud computing can be used to improve the functioning of the organizations?
4) What are the various aspects of the cloud computing that are relevant in the
organizations?
Research Design and Methodology
The research design is an important component for carrying out the research process.
This research would be using qualitative data collection method by using number of sources.
The qualitative data collection would focus on both types of studies such as exploratory and
descriptive studies.
Types of qualitative research method
The exploratory method and descriptive method of data collection would be used for
carrying out this research (Wang et al. 2017). The exploratory method of data collection is
concerned with the study of an issue which is not being studied in detail in the earlier literatures
or research processes (Wang et al. 2017). This kind of research relies on the secondary method
of data collection such as review of existing literature. This research would rely on the collection
of secondary data on cloud computing and its corresponding impact on Netflix. This study would
also focus on the descriptive mode of research. The descriptive research type would focus on the
observational method in which the data on cloud computing would be collected either by reading
information from a source or by analyzing specific case studies from the organization.

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Qualitative research method
There would be various methods of qualitative data collection that would be used for this
research. The data on cloud computing would be collected from a variety of sources such as
journals, books, publications, archives, records, participant observation, case studies and others
(Palinkas et al. 2015). The internet would be the primary mode for data collection from where all
the relevant data would be collected. There are various kinds of secondary data methods that
would be used for the purpose of collection of data such as accounts of the past events, company
reports, diaries and others (Palinkas et al. 2015).
Approaches to reliability and Validity
Reliability is one of the most important sections of the research in which a true score of
measurement theory is being applied (Creswell and Poth 2017). It is considered as one of the
excellent assessment tools which are used for producing consistent and desired results (Creswell
and Poth 2017). The reliability and validity of the data would ensure that the data can be used by
another individual for doing their research works. In this research, it is ensured that the
measurement process is reliable or the data is being collected from a reliable source.
The secondary data collected from various sources is from 2013 onwards and hence
ensures that only latest data is used for the purpose of collection of data. No journal or book or
any other publication is being selected before 2013 and hence the research can be termed as a
reliable one. The data sources of the print media are also being checked thoroughly before
collecting relevant data. The criteria for the data collection are that only reputed journals and
international publications, which are quite popular. This process makes the data collection
process reliable as well as valid, which would increase the quality of the research paper.

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Sampling
This research would use non probabilistic sampling process, in which there would be
random selection of the data collection sources and there would be no selection of the particular
units of measurement (Kumar 2014). This kind of sampling process is most appropriate for
gaining ideas on wide subjects of study and there is least involvement of any quantitative data.
The reason for using this sampling technique is that it is quite cheaper and quicker. This kind of
sampling technique is most suitable for exploratory research in which it is important to find
quick solutions to various problems (Best and Kahn 2016). This approach would be ethical and
there would no need for exact quantitative facts.
Sample Size
The selection of the sample size is considered to be an important step in the research. The
determination of the sample size is considered as the process of choosing the number of
observation or replications, which can be used to study the pattern of the study (Rea and Parker
2014). The sample size for this research would be 20 and out of them variety of different types of
journals, publications, books and case studies would be selected on a random basis.
Data Collection Method
The primary modes of data collection would be observations, visual analysis and textual
analysis (Shan, Bernick and Banks 2017). The print media would be mainly analyzed through the
methods of visual and textual analysis. The content of the publications would be carefully
reviewed, studied, analyzed and then a suitable conclusion has been drawn from them. The
various similarities and the data pattern is also being observed between the various sources of
data.

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Ethical Considerations
It is important to maintain ethical aspects while undergoing the research process. The
ethics are the standards which differentiate between the right and the wrong standards (Gelman
et al. 2014). Some of the ethical considerations used in this research are-
 No outdated data was used for the purpose of this research. Only latest data was used for
data collection.
 The publications and the relevant authors were informed before carrying out the research
process (Gelman et al. 2014). Informed consent was used for this research.
 Anonymity of the authors is being maintained and the research data is being kept
confidential.
Research Limitations
There are several limitations of this research which needs to be acknowledged. The
following are the research limitations-
 Lack of reliable data- There is lack of reliable data in the field of cloud computing. Not
many research publications are there which discusses the issue of cloud computing by
taking the example of Netflix (Velte and Stawinoga 2017). This has been an obstacle in
finding good quality data.
 Lack of data measurement- There are no specific data measurement tool for the purpose
of this research. There has been lack of data analysis tools for this type of research.
 Bias- The researcher may definite kind of cultural or social bias, which would prevent
him from achieving the true potential of the research (Velte and Stawinoga 2017).

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Time Schedule (Research plan)
The various activities of this research are defined below-
Main activities/ stages Week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 Week 5 Week 6
Identification of research topic 
Perform Background search  
Gather information about Tesco 
Formulation of research objective   
Formulation of research questions  
Performing literature review  
Identification of research methods  
Collection of qualitative data  
Collection of quantitative data
Ethical considerations

Identifying research limitations 

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Conclusion
The cloud computing is one of the most advanced technologies in which the
organizations are trying to reap the benefits. The cloud computing has been helping the
organizations in achieving their true potential. This paper has focused on both the advantages as
well as disadvantages of cloud computing. The example of Netflix is being used to understand
the actual benefits or the backlogs of cloud computing. This paper would broaden the
understanding of the aspect of cloud computing in a real organizational setting.

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References
Avram, M.G., 2014. Advantages and challenges of adopting cloud computing from an enterprise
perspective. Procedia Technology, 12, pp.529-534.
Best, J.W. and Kahn, J.V., 2016. Research in education. Pearson Education India.
Creswell, J.W. and Poth, C.N., 2017. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among
five approaches. Sage publications.
Gelman, A., Carlin, J.B., Stern, H.S., Dunson, D.B., Vehtari, A. and Rubin, D.B., 2014. Bayesian
data analysis (Vol. 2). Boca Raton, FL: CRC press.
Hashem, I.A.T., Yaqoob, I., Anuar, N.B., Mokhtar, S., Gani, A. and Khan, S.U., 2015. The rise
of “big data” on cloud computing: Review and open research issues. Information Systems, 47,
pp.98-115.
Kumar, R., 2014. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage.
Netflix., 2017. Is Netflix Down?. [Online] Netflix. Available at: https://help.netflix.com/en/is-
netflix-down [Accessed on 16/01/2018]
Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015.
Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation
research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services
Research, 42(5), pp.533-544.
Rea, L.M. and Parker, R.A., 2014. Designing and conducting survey research: A comprehensive
guide. John Wiley & Sons.

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Rittinghouse, J.W. and Ransome, J.F., 2016. Cloud computing: implementation, management,
and security. CRC press.
Sanaei, Z., Abolfazli, S., Gani, A. and Buyya, R., 2014. Heterogeneity in mobile cloud
computing: taxonomy and open challenges. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 16(1),
pp.369-392.
Shan, G., Bernick, C. and Banks, S., 2017. Sample size determination for a matched‐pairs study
with incomplete data using exact approach. British Journal Of Mathematical And Statistical
Psychology.
Velte, P. and Stawinoga, M., 2017. Integrated reporting: the current state of empirical research,
limitations and future research implications. Journal of Management Control, 28(3), pp.275-320.
Wang, L., Ranjan, R., Chen, J. and Benatallah, B. eds., 2017. Cloud computing: methodology,
systems, and applications. CRC Press.