Business Research Methodology 11: Cloud Computing Report

This report delves into the multifaceted world of cloud computing, exploring its fundamental characteristics, including network access, elasticity, self-service capabilities, resource pooling, and measured services. The report emphasizes cloud computing's significance for businesses, highlighting its ability to enable faster communication, facilitate easy access to data, and promote secure collaboration among teams. It examines the impact of cloud technology on businesses, offering insights into how it can reduce costs, enhance flexibility, and provide increased storage capacity. The report also discusses different forms of cloud computing, such as SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of adopting cloud solutions, including easy management, uninterrupted services, cost reduction, green computing, and disaster management, as well as potential downsides such as downtime, security concerns, vendor lock-in, and limited control. The report concludes by providing a comprehensive overview of cloud computing's role in modern business operations.

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Advantage or Disadvantage of Cloud Computing

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Cloud Computing:...........................................................................................................................4
Cloud computing Characteristics:....................................................................................................4
Importance of cloud computing for business:.................................................................................5
Impact of cloud computing on the business:...................................................................................5
Combination of companies:.............................................................................................................7
Forms of cloud computing:..............................................................................................................7
Following the different types of advantage for the cloud Computing:............................................9
Following the different types of disadvantage the cloud computing:............................................10
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................12
References:....................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction:
This report is designed to develop understanding about the cloud computing software. Its name is
derived from the idiom of “cloud”, which originated from the world of telecommunication. It
offers usage of VPN (virtual private network) services for data connection to people. This report
will focus on the impact of the cloud computing on business sectors. This report also focuses on
the characteristics of the cloud computing software. At the same time, this report also focuses on
the advantages or disadvantages of the cloud computing hardware and software. This report also
focuses on the importance of the cloud computing for the business. This report also provides
discussion on the different types of a model of cloud computing such as IAAS, PAAS and the
SAAS.

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Cloud Computing:
According to Marston et al. (2011), the cloud computing is the example of a new computational
method, which presents the inventive company’s model for industries to accept the information
technology. Although, the prospective benefits accomplished through the cloud computing and
the security of model are still questionable that affects the adoption of the cloud model. On the
other hand, Low et al. (2011) explains that under the cloud model, the problem of security has
become further complicated issue. The scopes of cloud computing covers different concepts such
as multi-tendency, elasticity, and model architecture or layers dependency stack.
Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing:
There are five types of characteristics, which are associated with the cloud computing such as
network access in the broader manner, rapid elasticity, on-demand self-service, resource pooling
and measured services. The detail of these characteristics is as below:
Network Access in Broader Manner: According to Zissis and Lekkas (2012), the cloud
computing has offered various kinds of networks, which could be accessed by using standards
mechanisms and encourages the custom with heterogeneous wide and thin client platforms such
as mobile phones, PDAs, laptops etc.
Rapid Elasticity: As per the views of Armbrust et al. (2010), business clients have provisions to
utilize unconstrained computing sources that could be obtained by anytime and in any number.
At the same time, Marston et al. (2011) exclaim that the consumers have provisioned to use the
unconstrained computing resources that have been obtained by few places.
On-demand Self-service: According to Foster et al. (2008), business clients and consumer on
one-sided origin have capability of computing such as server time or network storage that have
automatically vital devoid the human communication with each of the service contributors.
Resource Pooling: The cloud computing has pooled resources, which give the services towards
the numerous consumers. It helps various models by physical or virtual team that have assigned
and reassigned the factors like demands of clients and consumers.

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Measured Services: In views of Foster et al. (2008), the cloud computing mostly controls and
renovates the sources as per the given services or leverage capabilities. The features of cloud
computing also consist of bandwidths, storage, and processing.
Importance of Cloud Computing for Business:
According to Xu (2012), Cloud computing refers to a way in the companies, in which board or
management manages the online computing sources. Idiom of cloud computing has merged and
developed in more advanced manner in current years. The cloud computing can be utilized in
order to allow multiple persons to use the same database, and computing features at same time.
The ‘cloud’ computing requires the internet for operating ‘in the cloud’ that explains the method
of the store and approaches its data from internet connection. On the other hand, Foster et al.
(2008) assert that cloud computing permits the organizations to access their information virtually
and building the elastic or global key of accessing the company data anytime and anywhere.
Impact of cloud computing on the business:
Cloud computing is the computing of network, which works on the large scale. The cloud
computing offers different benefits to the business firms such as faster communication, ease of
access and secure collaboration.
Faster Communication: Zhang et al. (2010) say that cloud computing technology recommends
improved or reasonable communication to business entities. The faster communication can help
business firms in more ways like decentralizing of business, that becoming growly famous for a
lot of organizations. In faster communication, the cloud computing tool offers exploited tendency
in providing reliable as well as cost-effective IP-based connections.
In an organization, the faster communication is the important part of the cloud computing.
Company’s managers and employees can easily process, communicate and coordinate key
business database. As per the views of Armbrust et al. (2010), there are different parts of cloud
computing model such as caller ID, forwarding, parking, blocking, and free calling between staff
members and built- in call screening etc.
Ease of Access: Cloud computing provides the faster internet connection for all the business.
Cloud computing provides the easy access of data, crucial business software as well as projects
from any location into the whole world. Business professionals do not need to install and keep

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the software and any kind of special application for a long time in the laptop and tablet, as the
cloud computing has replaced this need.
Secure Collaboration: According to Armbrust et al. (2009), secure collaboration is the biggest
feature of cloud computing. The cloud computing provides the faster, dependable and easy
collaboration for company’s group members from everywhere in the whole world. Cloud files
could be accessed at any time, and by any group member of the company.
Benefits of Webb’s Stores:
The cloud computing offers different types of benefits to Webb’s store such as:
 Reduced costs
 Flexibility
 Increased storage
Reduced Costs: This technology attributes to reduction in overall costs for the companies. This
way, the adoption of cloud computing in business can maximize profitability of company.
Flexibility: Flexibility is another feature of cloud based computer networks. Cloud computing
has enabled the companies to inter-link their different offices to work on same platform
irrespective of geographical distances.
Increased Storage: The high level of storage capacity is another feature of the cloud computing
platforms. There is no need for the company to purchase storage devices for storage of their
business database. The companies can simply keep their raw and processed database on cloud
storage platform. This way, key company data are safe from unfortunate incidents like computer
corrupt problem, virus problem, hacking and malware practices etc.
AWS/ Azure used for the business integration of Webb’s Stores:
AWS (Amazon service of Web): It offers cloud computing services on demand from clients.
Azure Webb’s store: It gives different kinds of service like PAAS, ASSA or IAAS.

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Combination of companies:
There are various types of combinations such as:
 Fast services
 Wider reach on global basis
 Secure and compliant
 Agile technology
 Integrated environment for development
 Automated tools
 Deployed anywhere
According to Zhang et al. (2010), Azure and AWS both are important services of cloud
computing which gives the different types of model for computing such as IAAS, SAAS or
IAAS. These have provided the fast processes or placement services in order to integrate the new
stores by the operation of existing features. These also enabled all business firms to increase the
retry, feedback, and test functions according to company requirements. It is not dependent on the
locations as well as can transform presentations according to the use and performance changes.
The application of studio Visual has also given the adequate business environment, which helps
in order to integrate facts and information according to tasks. It has given the disaster recovery or
in-built failover capabilities towards the business, which provides the numerous replacements in
order to organize the processes. On the other hand, Calheiros et al. (2011) also observed that the
organizational privacy, as well as the privacy of key users is protected by cloud computing
platforms. Apart from this, companies are also capable of organizing data centers from any
location. A cloud computing platform uses the single model by efficient source allocation.
Forms of cloud computing:
Software- as – a- services (SAAS): Highly scalable application, which is based on the internet.
It offers the services to various ends consumers.
Platform - as – a- services (PAAS): On cloud infrastructure, the development, test or design,
Test that is based on it.

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Infrastructure – as- a – services (IAAS): It makes availability of the different types of services
such as storage, database management and computing capability.
(Source: Candrlic, 2013)
According to Armbrust et al. (2009), SAAS model of cloud computing has provided an
application based on the demand of various clients. It has made available the application and
services in such a way, which could recommend the services and its relevance to different
consumers. It has single application to reduce the costs. On the other hand, Xu (2012) has
provided that the PAAS provides the location feature also so that huge level and services could
be simply assembled. In PAAS model, companies are provided the freedom to create their own
application, which could be, offering services running for infrastructure. It has also given the
mutual platform of application server or Os, which helps in order to supervise or scale
requirements for the operation of organization. At the same time, IAAS has given the storage or
computing capabilities as per standards of sustained services in network. The IAAS has given the

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servers, storage system, networking equipments or data centers that have assembled mutually to
handle the workload of organization. In this, clients have capability of organizing their personal
applications and software in more effective manner.
Different Types of Advantage for the Cloud Computing:
Easy Management: As per the views of Rimal (2009), the infrastructure has to be maintained to
use the cloud computing software. In the views of Foster et al. (2008), it is also an application,
which has quit storage extensive, is huge easier when individuals uses business. For the client’s
level, it is mainly required to the simple web browser by the connectivity of the internet.
Uninterrupted Services: The cloud computing services offers the inferior outages. Hence, it has
offered the uninterrupted towards the clients. Through, the few occurrences of outages are
arising during the previous such the Gmail outage in the year of 2009.
Cost Reducing: According to Zissis, and Lekkas, (2012), Cost reduction is one of the major
advantages of cloud computing as well as it is main advantage for SMEs. The cloud computing
has significantly decreased the informational technology spending for SMEs. Most of the times,
it has also given the quite reliability during the terms of availability that is a clear winner.
Green Computing: According to Rimal et al. (2009), in business, the harmful emission is faced
due to extensive use of the cloud computing system. On the other hand Armbrust (2009) has
exclaimed that the e-waste has become the negative side of cloud based computing mechanism.
Disaster Management: As per the views of Zhang et al. (2010), in case of disaster management,
the outside backup of software is always helpful for the consumers. For most of the businesses,
maintaining the data of crucial backed up, is very important, which is provided by cloud service
providers. The cloud storage services have not only maintained the offside data but also have
ensured the system within the place for recover of data from disaster.
Different Disadvantages of the Cloud Computing:
There are six main disadvantages of cloud computing. These disadvantages are:

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Downtime: According to Zissis and Lekkas (2012), downtime is the worst disadvantage of cloud
computing. No one can immune the best services to the system, as the cloud computing is fully
based on internet connection, which implies fully dependency on the internet connection. Any of
the reason, technical failure or internet failure can be held responsible for the failure of cloud
platforms.
Security and Privacy: Managing the data must involve addressing the security and privacy
needs in business. Expectation of managing the safeguarding of the database and infrastructure
or hardware is done by cloud service providers. In case of remote areas, it becomes impossible to
manage.
Vulnerability to Attack: In the opinions of Low et al. (2011), it is essential for the cloud
computing firms to have proper assessment to the components. Connecting to the network does
not ensure proper security and system. So, it suffers from the severe attacks and the breeches in
security.
Limited control and flexibility: Users of cloud computing have limited control on operations
and executing the infrastructure of host companies’. Certain limits can be imposed on the
customers, who are engaged in the business for deployment by cloud provider like EULAs and
management.
Platform Dependencies: As per the view Foster et al. (2008), platform dependency is also
known as vendor lock-in system in case of cloud computing. Sometimes, it becomes impossible
to move from one platform to another in case of differentiated deep-rooted vendor system.
Costs: In case of small and medium sized projects, cloud computing becomes costlier. Reducing
staff level and hardware costs can be allowed through cloud computing, but it also results in
raising the cost.

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Conclusion:
On the basis of this report, it can be analyzed that the cloud computing is the most important part
of the today’s business entities. The cloud computing is the cloud based software of computing
systems as well as it is an online processing system. In this report, it can be analyzed that there
are the five types of features of the cloud computing, which affect the computing systems. On the
other hand, it can also be concluded that there are different kinds of benefits for Webb’s stores
such as reduced costs, Flexibility, Increased storage. At the same time, it is also evaluated that
there are different types of models of cloud computing systems like SAAS, IAAS, and PAAS.

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References:
Armbrust, M., Fox, A., Griffith, R., Joseph, A.D., Katz, R., Konwinski, A., Lee, G., Patterson,
D., Rabkin, A., Stoica, I. and Zaharia, M., (2010) A view of cloud computing. Communications
of the ACM, 53(4), pp.50-58.
Armbrust, M., Fox, A., Griffith, R., Joseph, A.D., Katz, R.H., Konwinski, A., Lee, G., Patterson,
D.A., Rabkin, A., Stoica, I. and Zaharia, M., (2009) Above the clouds: A berkeley view of cloud
computing (Vol. 17). Technical Report UCB/EECS-2009-28, EECS Department, University of
California, Berkeley.
Calheiros, R.N., Ranjan, R., Beloglazov, A., De Rose, C.A. and Buyya, R., (2011) CloudSim: a
toolkit for modeling and simulation of cloud computing environments and evaluation of resource
provisioning algorithms. Software: Practice and experience, 41(1), pp.23-50.
Foster, I., Zhao, Y., Raicu, I. and Lu, S., (2008) November. Cloud computing and grid
computing 360-degree compared. In Grid Computing Environments Workshop, 2008.
GCE'08 (pp. 1-10). Ieee.
Low, C., Chen, Y. and Wu, M.,(2011) Understanding the determinants of cloud computing
adoption. Industrial management & data systems, 111(7), pp.1006-1023.
Marston, S., Li, Z., Bandyopadhyay, S., Zhang, J. and Ghalsasi, A., (2011) Cloud computing—
The business perspective. Decision support systems, 51(1), pp.176-189.
Rimal, B.P., Choi, E. and Lumb, I., (2009) A Taxonomy and Survey of Cloud Computing
Systems. NCM, 9, pp.44-51.
Xu, X., (2012) From cloud computing to cloud manufacturing. Robotics and computer-
integrated manufacturing, 28(1), pp.75-86.
Zhang, Q., Cheng, L. and Boutaba, R., (2010) Cloud computing: state-of-the-art and research
challenges. Journal of internet services and applications, 1(1), pp.7-18.
Zhang, Q., Cheng, L. and Boutaba, R., (2010) Cloud computing: state-of-the-art and research
challenges. Journal of internet services and applications, 1(1), pp.7-18.

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Zissis, D. and Lekkas, D., (2012) Addressing cloud computing security issues. Future
Generation computer systems, 28(3), pp.583-592.
Zissis, D. and Lekkas, D., (2012) Addressing cloud computing security issues. Future
Generation computer systems, 28(3), pp.583-592.