Cloud Based Solutions for Health: Vendor and SDLC Approach Analysis

This report provides an in-depth analysis of cloud-based solutions tailored for a health organization, specifically focusing on the needs of a Commonwealth government entity. The report evaluates three prominent vendors: Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon, comparing their strengths and weaknesses based on critical factors such as data security, cost-effectiveness, and overall suitability for managing sensitive patient information. The analysis delves into the features offered by each vendor, highlighting how they align with the organization's requirements for efficient service delivery. Furthermore, the report explores two Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) approaches—adaptive and predictive—assessing their pros and cons in the context of the 'My Health Record' project. By examining the applicability of each approach, the report aims to provide a comprehensive recommendation for the most effective project management methodology, considering factors like project definition and the need for flexibility in a changing environment.

Running head: SDLC 1
Cloud Based Solutions
Name:
Institution:
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Introduction
This report is about aiding a health organization to provide efficient services to patients.
Common wealth Government organization seeks to find out which is the best cloud based
solution to use based on the features of the vendor. In this research, we shall analyse which is
the best vendor based on each cloud based solutions strengths and weakness. The research
shall also give the best SDLC approach for My Health record project based on the two
approaches pros and cons.A cloud based solution refers to on demand services, storage,
computer networks and resources accessed via internet through another providers shared
computing infrastructure.
Vendor solution
Vendor Solution
For all the solutions offered by the vendors, only a few would not be suitable for common
wealth government organization. The information below describes the different features that
would enable the organization to offer efficient services to its clients. Some of the features
that Commonwealth government organization is looking for in a cloud based solution offered
by a vendor on the My health records projects are data security and the cost among other
features. IBM, Micro Soft and Amazon are the most prominent ventors that could provide
this solution. Thus, this research analyses the suitability of each vendor .
Microsoft
Microsoft is one of the leading companies that has been providing cloud computing solutions
for a very long time. Unlike some of its peers, this company is established having been a
pioneer in digital transformation of business through cloud computing. The company has
been providing a secure application and a cost effective and high quality service for its

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clients(Hashem, et al, 2015). The company has a hybrid cloud environment that could assist
commonwealth government organization to achieve the desired goal. Microsoft has been
instrumental in providing information management capabilities and analytics, in addition to
this , the company provides cost effective data ownership as well as improved flexibility of
assets(Sen, 2015). Features that would give Microsoft an edge over other vendors include;
First, the company is deeply involved at all the stages in each layer of the cloud. The three
layers are IaaS, SaaS and PaaS to which the company has a lot of power in. If Common
wealth government organization could want a review of the three layers to be evaluated
separately, This would be the best vendor to look at because of the completeness of the cloud
offering from the application offered by Microsoft. The organization looking to buy cloud
based solutions mostly check on the completeness since they would want to spend as little
time possible and also minimal cost when it comes to patching and intergrating elements
from multiple vendors. Microsoft has shown commitment to develop assist the companies
that purchase their products by deploying ML, AI and blockchain in regard to innovative
production environment.
As businesses seek to transform in a digital sense, cloud based solutions have gained
prominence among the businesses that would like to transform. The new technology is
powerful, elegant, and could run on the global economy. Microsoft as a company aligns
itself with the cloud based solutions than other companies. Being one of the most sought after
companies that provides cloud based solutions , Microsoft has been collecting the most
revenue from cloud services in the tune of billions showing that the company is the best in
the market(Shah,2016).. The system offers monitoring and automation in one package. The
cloud based systems provided by Microsoft create self service portals which help in the
installation process.

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Security offered by the company is based on trusts and domains and also relies on active
directory which allows ease of operations. The security is reliable and provides easy
integration. .
IBM Vendor
The best thing about IBM is that this vendor can respond to any configuration. Theyy have
got the expertise to respond to any issue dimmed as challenging for example, hardware
deployment challenges. The architects of this system respond to any configuration. They also
offer suggestions on running the software using IBM hardware.
The vendor offers cloud networking services such as delivery network content, load balancer
and firewall. IBM offers offers resources such as serverless computing containers on which
organizations can be able to host their data and they also offer virtual servers. The vendor
also monitors and also offers tools to manage the cloud for example in log analysis. The
vendors also offers data science tools such as Apache Hadoop nad Apache Spark which are
vital for streaming of data to provide efficiency(Hashem, et al, 2015).
As for security, IBM offers cloud based solutions that provide services for tracking identity
and activity along with access management and authentification. IBM offer SQL nad NoSQL
databases which provide the best cloud based solutions and can be very effective to
Organizations such as the Commonwealth government organization during shift to the cloud
based solution..
Amazon vendor
As a provider of cloud based solutions, Amazon prioritizes more on security of the which is
high on the list of organizations that are worried and sensitive about security. Amazons clous
based solution puts a strong safeguard meant for protecting customers data. For

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commonwealth government organization, this feature is very important because the
organization deals with sensitive information in regard to patients health. The vendor has a
secure data center that ensures all the data is stored in cloud system (Karim, Albuolayan, &
Rehman, 2016)..
The vender meets compliance requirement, Amazon manages compliance programs for an
organizations infrastructure. Thus the organizations compliance will be completed by the
vendor. The use of Amazon as a vendor enables the organizations to save on money, since it
uses Amazons data centers. The vendor enables the organization to scale quickly since it is
designed in a manner to keep the date safe(Shah,2016).
Review of the cloud based
Review of strengths and weakness of cloud based solutions
Strengths
 Cloud based solutions can be accessed from anywhere as long as there is internet
connection.
 Cloud based solutions make it possible for organizations to cut costs since there will
be no expenses incurred to install in house servers as well as the maintenance costs.
 Cloud based solutions are reliable and consistent. They also guarantee assistance 24
hours a day in addition to 100% availability.
 It is easy to manage since cloud based services offer structured information
technology services unlike the issues that comes with using a server.
 Cloud based solutions offer back up plan and therefore it is easy to recover data in
case of a disaster.

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 Cloud based solutions give an organization a strategic edge over the competitors since
the organization is able to access the latest applications.
Weaknesses
 There is issue of downtime due to massive overload on servers.
 Cloud based solutions is not very secure even if the vendors abide by the strict
confidentiality terms a case in point is the snowden NSA leeks.
 It is hard to change service providers since it is hard to find applications for a vendor
being compatible with another vendor.
 When an organization takes up a cloud based services, it should be prepared to incur
lifetime costs hence if the application is local and the data is in cloud this could add to
the network costs.
.SDLC Approach
Adaptive and Predictive approaches are two work methodologies used for project
management. Each of them has its environment and its applicability as an inherent
consequence of its different approaches. However, it is very possible that some of our
projects may benefit from the correct interaction between both methodologies.
Predictive Approach
It is used when you know precisely the type of product you want to create, and it is possible
to define it sufficiently in advance. Therefore, what we do is predict everything by planning
and designing the product in advance. Then our objective is to follow the plan and produce
the previously designed product. It is commonly referred to as the "traditional" method. In the
IT industry, it is called "cascade."
Predictive Cycle

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Well, the question is, why can not we be "predictive" in some projects ? and in such cases,
what can we do?
Adaptive
When we can not use a predictive system, adaptive is an excellent option. Adaptive systems
are commonly known as "Adoptive".This system is used when we have a result in mind, but
we can not be sure what type of product can create it, and therefore "prediction" is not
possible. This is the case, for example, of markets that change rapidly, or when it is not
possible to really understand the needs of the market or the client (Ali, Khan &Vasilakos,
2015).
In this case, we will work by cycles. In each cycle, a subset of the final product is designed,
planned, constructed, and tested and must be ready for implementation. That is to say, that at
the end of each cycle we will provide the final client or user, a subset of the final product on
which we will receive feedback. Based on this feedback, we will understand much better
what the result of the next cycle should be.
Adaptive Cycle
Cycles are executed one after the other until sufficient value is generated, and we are close
enough to the expected result. These are the adaptive systems, and it is the idea that underlies
the management of Adoptive projects.
Advantages of Adoptive SDLC approach
Ádoptive offers an incredibly flexible model that allows it to adapt evolutionarily to the
needs of a changing world. The project is divided into small tasks developed by independent
groups that work simultaneously and interact with each other. The clients intervene, and the
product tests coincide with the realization of the project, with which continuous improvement
and a constant adaptation of the product to the real needs is achieved.

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The Adoptive methodology is especially useful when the objective of the project is not
clearly defined or when the client does not know precisely what their needs are. The mutual
feedback between the project team and the clients will progressively achieve the objectives of
the client and the product facilitated by the team to converge towards the same point,
achieving a satisfactory result.
In these methodologies, communication plays a fundamental role, both among team
members, among the different teams that share the tasks of a project, and between all of these
and the clients.Communication integrates development processes, achieves cohesion between
staff and clients and ensures the coherence of the project result with the objectives that are
being raised in a dynamic manner.
Advantages of Predictive SDLC Approach
Previously in the realization of any project using Predictive methodologies, it is necessary to
have a clear objective and to carry out meticulous planning.Precisely, given that you know
exactly where you want to go and how you are going to do it, once you start a project using
these methodologies, you get to the end quickly and safely. It is possible to create timetables
and precise budgets prior to project execution, and these are met with few deviations. This
correspondence between what has been said and what is done satisfies the clients
(Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2016).
In addition, the accuracy of this work system ensures that there is extensive and accurate
documentation of everything that has to be done in the project at all times. Therefore, in the
event that one of the members of the team, due to professional or personal circumstances,
cannot continue until the end of the project, another person may take his place. You will only

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need to be updated on the exact situation of the project and what you have to do until the end,
and you can develop it without a significant problem.
Adoptive Approach Disadvantages
The adoptive approach shows a fragile structure as a consequence of its flexibility. There is
little accuracy in project planning, from delivery deadlines to budgets. As there is no concrete
plan, everything seems to float in a vacuum (Aljawarneh, Alawneh & Jaradat, 2017).
In addition, as was also said before, communication, personal involvement and collaboration
are needed to ensure the success of an Adoptive process. This can be problematic, mainly if
we work with uncooperative teams. The need for close and permanent communication can
consume a lot of time in meetings and content exchanges.
On the other hand, Adoptive methodologies are much more dependent on the presence of the
same people from the beginning to the end of the project. The abandonment of one of the
members of the team will be accused much more than in the Predictive methodology.
Disadvantages of Predictive Approach
The main drawback of the Predictive methodology is that it is a less flexible methodology
than the Adoptive methodology.Adoptive methodology and this flexibility are achieved
because we do not plan too much ahead of time. Altering the project in any of its stages can
be a real nightmare for the Project Manager because once all the planning is analyzed, it is
challenging to introduce changes. Another drawback is that the feedback that can be given by
the clients and the tests carried out is not achieved until very advanced stages of the project
(Karim et al,2016). Therefore, if there is a problem, it will not be possible to respond to it
until the project is very advanced, which implies a very high consumption of time, effort, and
money.

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Each of them has its advantages and its drawbacks, and it is the Project Manager's job to
know how to choose one or the other according to the needs of the project, the demands of
the clients and the equipment available to them(Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2016). However,
given the dynamism of today's world, Adoptive SDLC approach would be the right choice for
those who know in which direction you want to walk, but you do not know with certainty
exactly where you want to go. Therefore, it is the methodology that is currently being used by
companies around the world. Another advantage of Ádoptive is that it allows integration with
other current and very interesting work methodologies for the organization of a
company(Karim, et al,2016).
Probably the leading example is Kanban that can increase your productivity both at a For its
part, the Predictive methodology would be the choice for static projects in which it is not
expected that it will be necessary to make changes throughout the development of the
process. However, these are general guidelines (Alshamrani & Bahattab, 2015).
Conclusion
Common wealth government organizationshoul choose a cloud based vendor based on the
suitability of the platform offered by the vendor and the the features that will make My health
project initiative be implemented and run smoothly. On the adoptive and predictive SDLC
approaches, the organization should review the best approach based on the pros and cons o
each.

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References
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and challenges. Information sciences, 305, 357-383.
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management, and security. CRC press.

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Sen, J. (2015). Security and privacy issues in cloud computing. In Cloud Technology:
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