A Comprehensive Report: Cloud Computing Advantages and Disadvantages

This report provides a comprehensive overview of cloud computing, examining its advantages and disadvantages for businesses. It begins with an introduction to cloud computing, highlighting its evolution and impact on innovation. The report outlines the objectives and scope, which include defining cloud computing, exploring its advantages, and identifying ways to mitigate its disadvantages. A literature review covers cloud computing in business, its differences from the internet, and its architecture, including deployment methods. The advantages discussed include cost minimization, improved scalability, flexible work structures, and automatic updates. The disadvantages, such as security risks and employee training needs, are also addressed. The report presents research questions and methodology, including qualitative research with industry experts. It concludes by summarizing the findings and providing recommendations for businesses to effectively leverage cloud computing while minimizing risks. The appendices include additional details on cloud computing concepts, deployment methods, and related information.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
OF CLOUD COMPUTING

Contents
1.0 Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Objectives of the Project:................................................................................................................3
3.0 Scope of the Project:.......................................................................................................................3
4.0 Literature Review:...........................................................................................................................4
4.1 Cloud Computing in Business:......................................................................................................4
4.2 Cloud and Internet Difference:....................................................................................................4
4.3 Architecture of Cloud Computing:...............................................................................................4
4.3.1 Deployment Method:...........................................................................................................4
4.4 Advantages of Cloud Computing:................................................................................................5
4.5 Disadvantages of Cloud Computing:............................................................................................6
4.6 Overcoming the disadvantages:..................................................................................................6
4.7 Research Problems:.....................................................................................................................7
4.8 Research Gap:..............................................................................................................................7
5.0 Research Questions:........................................................................................................................7
6.0 Research Methodology and Research Design:.................................................................................7
6.1 Qualitative Research:...................................................................................................................7
6.2 Research Reliability and Validity:.................................................................................................8
6.3 Sample Size and Sampling process:.............................................................................................8
6.4 Method of Data Collection:.........................................................................................................8
6.5 Variable Specification:.................................................................................................................8
7.0 Limitations of the research:.............................................................................................................8
8.0 Time Frame:.....................................................................................................................................9
9.0 Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:..........................................................................................................................................10
Appendix:............................................................................................................................................12
Appendix 1:......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix 2:......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix 3:......................................................................................................................................13
Appendix 4:......................................................................................................................................13

1.0 Introduction:
The evolution of the businesses is of the opinion nowadays that innovation drives the
production process of the business more rapidly and also brings in more productivity for the
business (Hood et al., 2016). Web or internet is the main source that brings in innovation for
the businesses. There are a lot of advantages that Cloud computing have over the traditional
way of technology cycles. As in the process of cloud computing the data of the businesses are
stored in the clouds rather than in the devices of the employees, more employees have access
to the data and thus the business processes are not hindered due to lack of access. Also, cloud
computing does providing access to a lot of organizations in order to store data in the server
and use the applications without even owning those servicers or applications (Armbrust et al.,
2010). Grid computing and cloud computing are similar terms and also the process is more or
less same for both. (Appendix 1)
This particular report that have been made will be discussing about the details of cloud
computing and will, also discuss the engineering, architecture as well as infrastructure related
to the cloud computing. A variety of advantages as well as disadvantages are there in the
cloud computing process which will as well be discussed in this report.
2.0 Objectives of the Project:
The objectives with which the advancement has been made are mentioned below:
 To define as well as explain regarding the cloud computing process.
 Examining the advantages that cloud computing have in the business.
 Inspecting the disadvantages that the business face by implementing cloud computing.
 Suggesting ways with the help of which the disadvantages can be overcome in the
business.
3.0 Scope of the Project:
The scope of this project is to find out the ways in which cloud computing can be used for the
future in the businesses and in the course of this project, the disadvantages will be analyzed
for that reason. Studying the disadvantages of the cloud computing upon the business, it will
be recommended that how the business will be able to fill these loopholes. This project will
help the businesses to fill the loopholes with the help of the IT managers in the business and

will also help to strengthen the advantages of the cloud computing process in the business.
So, the main scope of the project is to find strengthen more the advantages of cloud
computing as well as recognize the loopholes which can help the businesses to make better
use of cloud computing.
4.0 Literature Review:
4.1 Cloud Computing in Business:
The process of cloud computing is fully dependent upon the internet and the businesses can
take help from various sites in the internet which is referred to as cloud computing (Qian et
al., 2009). This is also a process that helps the businesses to not to buy the products but use it
in lieu of money. The businesses handles their resources online with the help of cloud
computing and since the invention of this process this technology has evolved a lot (Foster et
al., 2008). With the help of this process, the businesses are able to access a variety of
information over the internet from various sites.
4.2 Cloud and Internet Difference:
There are a lot of IT resources that a business has access to, over the internet, while the cloud
computing used by a business is very confidential in nature (Rittinghouse et al., 2016). Upon
the internet, the content based in IT are shared with the help of WWW while cloud
computing provides a capability to the client as well as back end support to the businesses.
Cloud computing is also sometimes based upon the technology as well as on internet protocol
but Internet is always based upon the Web. Cloud computing can make use of any protocol so
that it can access the resources of IT that are remote in nature.
4.3 Architecture of Cloud Computing:
There are front end as well as back end which are there in the cloud computing framework
and this points remain linked with the help of internet (Botta et al., 2016). The front end
interface contains both the clients as well as applications while the back end consists of cloud
which combines data storage, virtual machines, security, methods of deployment and a
variety of servers. (Appendix 2)
4.3.1 Deployment Method:
Cloud computing consists of four methods of deployment (Appendix 3):

Community Cloud:
Under this method, many organizations share the sane private cloud (Dave et al., 2016).
Private Cloud:
One of the most protected clouds, the private cloud, and this cloud is managed by third party
organizations. This cloud helps to protect information that is sensitive in nature.
Public Cloud:
This type of cloud can be accessed by general public with the help of the internet. Google,
Yahoo handles these types of clouds (Prabhu et al., 2017).
Hybrid Clouds:
Hybrid clouds provide benefits of both Private as well as public clouds.
4.4 Advantages of Cloud Computing:
There are a lot of advantages that cloud computing provides to the business which have been
mentioned below:
Cost Minimization:
Minimization of cost helps to remove the cost of the business for the management of IT
programmes of the business (Patel et al., 2013). The businesses can save the cost of the
organization with the help of storing the data in the third party database. Also, a variety of
other information that is sensible for the business can be stored in the database which can
help the organization to save the cost of the organization. Cost of energy, time, human
resource etc. are all saved by the business organization with the help of cloud computing.
Improvement of scalability:
Even if there is threat from the cloud storage of a third party service, the business can change
the cloud storage platform instantly which will not harm their process of operations
(Assunção et al., 2015). The flexible change of needs of the business can be handled by cloud
technology very easily.
Flexible work structure:

This helps to imply the concept of work from home in the business with the help of cloud
computing which can help the employees to stay more flexible and also increase the business
productivity (Abdollahzadegan et al., 2013).
Automatic Updates:
The businesses are able to access the automatic updates of the cloud platform. During the
contract that the business signs with the cloud platform the charges of the automatic updates
receiving remains embedded since the starting.
4.5 Disadvantages of Cloud Computing:
There are mainly two main disadvantages of cloud computing in the business and the first
and foremost of them are, during updating the technology in the business, the culture of the
business generally attached to it also changes and for that reason, the employees also needs
those upgrades and those employees who doesn’t know how to handle the clouds, it becomes
a headache for the organization to teach those employees (Sadiku et al., 2014).
There is also risk of security breach that can happen while the businesses implement this
system. With the increase in technology, the rate of suspicious cyber attacks has also
increased in the database of the company’s servers which can cause real security breach,
looting the data from the servers and sometimes the data which are confidential are leaked
out by the attackers.
While the advantages of the businesses are compared to the disadvantages of the cloud
computing, it can be seen that the owners of the organizations are mainly anxious about the
breach in the security of the cloud platform.
4.6 Overcoming the disadvantages:
Risk assessment is a significant procedure with the help of which the businesses will be able
to reduce the risks and also make superior selection of which platform to select
(Chandrasekaran, 2014). There is a guideline that has been set by the Australian Government
regarding the cloud use by the businesses and it includes correct agreement, proper storing
methods used by the business, investigating the location of the platform, checking the
security of the servers should all be checked and inspected by the business before making any
decisions.

4.7 Research Problems:
A lot of studies have been conducted in this field regarding studying the advantages and the
disadvantages of the cloud computing technology in the field of business. The businesses that
are there in the world have also taken help from these studies in order to find out the
loopholes and eliminate them. This is the reason behind the researcher undertaking this
particular subject as the research topic and further investigating this topic so that it can help
the business organizations to understand the negative side of the cloud technology and take
actions accordingly and also understand the advantages to make it stronger than ever.
4.8 Research Gap:
The studies that were conducted in this particular field were mainly focussed upon the
positive side of the cloud computing technologies of the business, but there were little studies
made that focussed upon the negative side of the cloud technology upon the business. So, the
main focus of the researcher will be upon the negative side of the cloud computing
technology upon the business but will also focus upon the positive side as well.
5.0 Research Questions:
Primary:
 How is the cloud computing technology influencing the businesses in the modern
world?
Secondary:
 What are the advantages that a business can get with the help of utilization of cloud
computing system?
 What are the shortcomings of using Cloud Computing Technology in business?
 How the businesses will be able to use the cloud computing technology effectively to
fulfil their aims and objectives?
6.0 Research Methodology and Research Design:
6.1 Qualitative Research:
This particular research will deal with both primary as well as secondary data collected from
a variety of online and offline sources by the researcher. The online sources include the

journal articles that have been obtained over the internet, online libraries, websites of the
businesses, articles and so on (Best et al., 2016). The primary sources include interview of 3
industry experts; who have contributed to this research with the help of their valuable
opinions and comments.
6.2 Research Reliability and Validity:
The data that have been used for this particular research have been collected following the
ethics and three experts of cloud computing that have been selected from the industry were
interviewed following the ethics. There were a lot of questions that were asked to the experts
which are open ended in nature in order to gain an in-depth understating of the advantages as
well as the disadvantages of the cloud computing upon the businesses.
6.3 Sample Size and Sampling process:
Three industry experts were selected who have an in-depth knowledge about cloud
computing and the process of sampling that was followed by the researcher includes non-
probabilistic sampling. Also use of convenience sampling technique helped the researcher to
make appointments before meeting the experts, as the experts had a very busy schedule
(Bryman et al., 2015).
6.4 Method of Data Collection:
Both primary and secondary data were collected by the researcher while doing this research.
Primary data were collected form 3 industry experts, while the secondary data were collected
from online as well as offline sources which include peer reviewed articles, books,
magazines, online libraries and so on.
6.5 Variable Specification:
The independent variable in this particular research is cloud computing while the dependent
variable includes disadvantage and advantages of the cloud computing technology upon the
businesses.
7.0 Limitations of the research:
There were a lot of challenges that were faced by the researcher while taking part in this
research staring form gathering data for the research to following the ethics of the research.
Financial constraint as well as time constraint is two main limitations that were faced by the
researcher while taking part in this researcher (Patten, 2017). These two aspects have

influenced the reliability as well as the accuracy of the whole research. Also, the experts who
were selected initially, on the first instance they refused to take part, but later agreed which
have made further delay the process of the research.
8.0 Time Frame:
During the first week, the researcher have made a lot of research in the internet and selected
the topic for this particular research while the secondary sources of data collection was also
done during the first week itself by the researcher. The second week went on to phrase the
literature review for the research. As the literature review was lengthy, it took the 3rd and the
4th week too. The methodology planning was done on 3rd and 4th week of the research time
frame while the techniques for conducting the research were selected on 4th and 5th week. The
analysis and data interpretation was done on 5th and 6th week of the research and on 6th week
itself, the findings and the recommendations were framed by the researcher. The final
research project was ready at the end of 7th week. (Appendix 3)
9.0 Conclusion:
From the discussion above it can be concluded that the researcher have undertaken this
particular research in order to understand the advantages as well as the disadvantages of the
cloud computing upon the business and how it influences the business that exists in the
modern era.

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