Cloud Computing: Case Studies of Unilever and BMW's Applications

This report provides an overview of cloud computing, focusing on its applications within Unilever and BMW. It details how BMW transitioned from a centralized infrastructure to a cloud platform for improved data storage and cost efficiency, while Unilever adopted Amazon Web Services to enhance data stability, security, and digital marketing capabilities. The report contrasts the characteristics of companies using cloud computing versus those that do not, highlighting benefits such as better data maintenance, business agility, and portability. It also examines the advantages, including faster reaction times and cost-effective strategies, and disadvantages, like reliance on internet connectivity and potential security issues. Finally, it argues why government agencies like the CIA and NSA may not be ideal candidates for cloud computing due to the sensitive nature of their data and potential vulnerabilities.

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The cloud computing is the practice of using the internet networks as the repository
of the data which helps in usage and manage of the data rather than storing them over a local
network or the personal computer is known as cloud computing. The cloud computing came
into trend from the year 2011. This report will discuss the application of the two organization
that have been using the cloud computing. The organization discusses over in this report is
Unilever and BMW.
BMW
The German automobile industry with its services in more than 150 countries changed its
track from Unified and centralized infrastructure to independent cloud platform. Switching
to the cloud platform supplied the company with better benefits than before. The automobile
industry was facing challenges regarding data storage when done from the initial point of
manual processing. The private cloud platform was done to maintain the cost efficiency and
modernize its technologies the cloud platform was launched in 2013.
Unilever
This company deals with range of global products and with a market of 58.2 billion
redesigned its IT infrastructure to maintain stability of the data, increase their cost efficiency,
maintain security of the data and crease a robust platform for increasing their business
through digital marketing. The cloud computing services are provided by Amazon web
services.

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The companies with and without using Cloud Computing
The companies, which uses cloud-computing gets many distinct characteristics, rather than
the companies, which do not use cloud, computing. The cloud computing provides the
following facilities to the companies giving them a reason to use cloud computing.
UNILEVER
 Better maintenance of data: with almost 100 loved products worldwide. The
company needed a better platform that could handle the data in the better manner than
before. Unlike the other companies that have to update time to time manually which
consumes a lot of time and could incur errors.
 Business agility: the Unilever in order to expand its digital infrastructure adopted the
cloud platform, which in turn helped it to grow in a market by growing in the core
competency and managing it according to the companies ‘requirement. Unlike other
companies which use manual processing information system. This consumes a lot of
time and effort and need a centralized environment to be accessed. It does not provide
many opportunities to flourish rather keep the business or the ideas stagnant.
 Portability: unilever increase its portability, the products or the data are platform
independent and can be accessed from anywhere. Unlike other companies that are
centralize to the standalone system and require the specific platform to be accessed.
BMW
 Business agility: the company with the help of cloud platform helped to flourish
more technologies and data that could be accessed from the internet. Since the data
that are been accessed or stored uses high security internet networks, there is no

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chance of sensitive information breach. Unlike other companies that used manual
process to manage data which could have high chances of being
misplaced(Kalaiprasath, RElankavi& Udayakumar, 2017).
 Portability: The independent cloud platform provides have helped the company to
enhance the technology, with the on demand services the company enhanced their
cars with automated voice control, gps system and other advancement by knowing the
car’s owner data. Unlike the other automobile companies without cloud platform that
would take much more efforts to add these facilities to the car
Advantages and disadvantages of the Cloud Computing.
The following tables will discuss the advantages and the given companies in consideration
have used disadvantages of the cloud computing.
 Advantages
BMW UNILEVER
It eases the data migration by enhancing
seamless integration
Faster reaction time
It promotes the time to time-up
gradation of technologies without
procrastination.
Cost efficient(Bindi,2016).
The cloud fit itself according to the
requirements and the resources
provided to the system
More robust IT infrastructure with better
Marketing models to increase more
consumer.
Connects and collects all the data
irrespective of the platform barriers
It facilitates cost effective strategies for
the company as well as systematic

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management of data.
 Disadvantages
The disadvantages of using the cloud-computing platform taking both the companies
in consideration are as follows:
1. Reliability on the internet connection: there is a constant need of internet
connection to access the data.
2. Security issues: any loopholes in the security framework can cause massive
data breach. It is important to make sure that the cloud services that is being
used have a high and updated security approach,
3. Data transfer cost: Only a certain amount of data is transferred free, the high
amount of data could cost high for migration from one system to
another(Aljawarneh, Alawneh& Jaradat, 2017).
4. Lack of exposure: there are chances that many stakeholders are not acquainted
with the cloud cervices. It needs a beforehand training before implementation
in any organization.
CIA and NSA as the cloud computing Candidates
The government agencies like CIA and NSA are not the good candidates of the cloud
computing for the following reasons(Aljawarneh& Yassein,2016).:

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1. The government agencies have highly sensitive data that can be misused if any un
authorised access takes place. The government agencies cannot afford to lose the
safety if the cloud platform did not have a good security framework.
2. The cloud services provides a lot of ease but being on the internet it is also exposed to
many vulnerabilities. Even when the security framework is strong, it still belong to
surface web. It can still face minor or major threats over the internet.
References
Aljawarneh, S. A., & Yassein, M. O. B. (2016). A conceptual security framework for cloud
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Aljawarneh, S. A., Alawneh, A., & Jaradat, R. (2017). Cloud security engineering. Future
Generation Computer Systems, 74(C), 385-392.
Bindi, M. (2016). A framework for implementing cloud based enterprise resource planning
(ERP) in the transport business sector in Zimbabwe.
Gadhi, A. (2017). Emerging Issues in Supply Chain Management with a Focus on Supply
Chain Technologies and how they Affect Business Organizations Today; A Case of
Unilever Kenya Limited. Journal of Procurement & Supply Chain, 1(1), 24-38.
Kalaiprasath, R., Elankavi, R., & Udayakumar, D. R. (2017). Cloud. Security and
Compliance-A Semantic Approach in End to End Security. International Journal Of
Mechanical Engineering And Technology (Ijmet), 8(5).
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management, and security. CRC press.