Cloud Computing Strategies for Webb's Store: A Report

This report analyzes cloud computing solutions for Webb's Store, a retail business aiming to improve its operations. It explores key cloud computing concepts like flexibility, security, and cost-effectiveness. The report examines how Webb's Store can leverage Amazon Web Services (AWS) to integrate new stores and implement a 'checkout-free' system. It details the advantages and disadvantages of Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS) models, recommending Salesforce as a suitable SaaS solution. The report also includes a comparison of IaaS and PaaS approaches for migrating Webb's database to the cloud, providing recommendations based on the analysis. This comprehensive approach aims to guide Webb's Store in making informed decisions about cloud adoption to enhance its business performance.

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Cloud Computing
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Executive Summary
The retailers have planned to utilise the cloud technology in their premises to prosper their
business activities. The cloud vendors provide the platform and the retailers can enjoy the
cloud services in lieu of a minimum charge amount. Webb’s Store can be embellished
largely by taking all the cloud computing approaches and in this report, it has been
discussed why Webb’s Store must take the IaaS services to ensure safety and security of
their company activities. It has been discussed in the presentation that via SaaS services
Webb’s Store can embellish their email and computerised services. Webb’s Store can bloom
their retail industry via Salesforce and will definitely help to stay connected with the users
or consumers throughout day and night. They can also identify the customers’ buying
patterns and can manage their company’s food products via the installation of ‘checkout-
free’ system.
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
1.a. The key concepts of Cloud Computing and why do you think that a move to the cloud
will benefit Webb’s Store...........................................................................................................4
Cloud computing providing benefits to Webb’s Store...............................................................4
1.b. Explain how Webb’s could use AWS to integrate their new regional group of stores into
their existing operations.............................................................................................................7
1.c. Explanation of the cloud architectures Webb’s Store can use to integrate the operations
and the reasons for use...............................................................................................................9
2.a. The advantages that Webb’s Store can achieve if they use this type of SaaS service......11
2.b. The disadvantages that Webb’s Store can achieve if they use this type of SaaS service. 12
2.c. The SaaS service that I like to recommend-......................................................................12
i. The name of the service....................................................................................................13
ii. How is it better than other similar services?....................................................................13
iii. What are its specific disadvantages?..............................................................................14
References................................................................................................................................16
3.i. An IaaS approach to migrating Webb’s database to the cloud..........................................18
3.ii. A PaaS approach to migrating Webb’s database to the cloud..........................................18
3.iii. Create a table that shows the advantages and disadvantages of each approach..............18
3.iv. What is the approach that you would recommend and give your reasons for
recommending this approach?..................................................................................................20
Conclusion................................................................................................................................21
References................................................................................................................................22
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Introduction
Cloud computing involves the use of hardware and software online over the
Internet. The retailers have planned to utilise the cloud technology in their premises to
prosper their business activities (Azam et al., 2013). The cloud vendors provide the platform
and the retailers can enjoy the cloud services in lieu of a minimum charge amount.
The presentation grandstands the vital aspects of cloud computing and shows why
Webb’s Store should adopt this technology for good. The usefulness of Amazon AWS cloud
framework and the IaaS, PaaS, SaaS services have been detailed both in the report and the
presentation.
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1.a. The key concepts of Cloud Computing and why do you think that a move to the cloud
will benefit Webb’s Store
The concepts of the Cloud Computing are as follows-
Flexibility: If any organisation wants to extend their business activities, want to shift
to the cloud they must opt the cloud computing technology (Dinh et al., 2013). The Cloud
Computing technology offers the agility and efficiency which in terms offers the flexibility to
business organisations.
Security: The business organisations take help from the cloud vendor platform and
they use their secure cloud database to store and access the files. Therefore, there is no
chance of any security breaches in the secured cloud database (Azam et al., 2013). The data
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can be accessed by the companies everywhere every time from any devices and they do not
have to worry about the security issues.
Automatic update of the software: The cloud software the company uses get
automatically updated so they do not have to think or worry about the software updates,
these save the time of the companies (Dinh et al., 2013). Thus they can utilise the saved
time in useful activities.
Augmented team cooperation: Different team members from different zones can
work in the cloud environment all at the same time, the cloud technology can be accessed
from any devices too and it is not limited to laptops or desktops, the cloud platform can be
accessed from the smartphones too. This enhances the team collaboration.
Working from anywhere anytime: Cloud Computing embellish the users to access
the cloud platform from anywhere, they just need the Internet connection and that’s it
(Dinh et al., 2013). The cloud platform can be accessed from the devices like laptops and
even smart phones enhancing the business activities the organisations.
Cost-effective: Sharing the cloud platform lessens the budget of the companies the
companies will not have to purchase and maintain specific hardware and software for their
companies, thus it saves both time and money.
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Cloud computing providing benefits to Webb’s Store
Webb’s Store like all other companies can take the cloud technology benefits,
they can enhance their retailing business with the cloud computing. Thus adopting the cloud
technology, they can learn the customers’ wish list, customers’ demands and customers’
buying trends. The cloud technology can be utilised to know the current trends of the
products available in the market which the customers are preferring (Azam et al., 2013).
Thus Webb’s Store can study the customers’ mentality about the products they are selling
and keep track of the products they are purchasing. Webb’s Store can stay connected with
the customers all the time with their customers because of the advent of cloud technology.
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1.b. Explain how Webb’s could use AWS to integrate their new regional group of stores
into their existing operations
Combining all the stores’ operations into one existing operation: Webb’s
Store with the help of Cloud Computing can install a new service named ‘checkout-free’ in
their premises utilising the Amazon AWS cloud platform (Shufeng & Xu, 2012). AWS cloud
platform will help them to keep track of all the food products at Victoria’s retails stores.
Also, Webb’s Store can recognise all their retail stores with the help of the technology.
Webb’s Store can even know the products which get misplaced by assigning unique code
label to the products.
Webb’s Store can gain more and more customers that will help them to grow
their business: Webb’s Store implementing the ‘check out-free’ service by using AWS cloud
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platform can provide a whole lot of benefits to the customers. The customers can pick up
the food products they want and they can simply check out of the store (Muthui & SISAT,
2013). The items they will pick, the code will be stored in the database, will be then
analysed and a purchase bill will be sent to the customers once they move out of the store.
Thus Webb’s Store can identify the customers’ shopping behaviour pattern.
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1.c. Explanation of the cloud architectures Webb’s Store can use to integrate the
operations and the reasons for use
Webb’s Store must choose the AWS cloud platform for the following reasons
Easy usage: AWS allows the users like ISVs and the application vendors to
deploy and execute the applications be it an existing application or SaaS-based application
efficiently.
Flexible: AWS allows the user to choose the operating system, the coding
language, database and the web framework of their choice, so AWS is definitely providing
flexible services (Varia & Mathew, 2014).
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Reliable: The user can access the AWS cloud architecture everywhere in the
world and this AWS cloud architecture is the strength of Amazon’s multi billion dollar online
enterprise activities. Hence, the users can rely on the brand.
Secure: AWS offers end-to-end access to secure their database and their cloud
framework. Thus the customers can get the secure cloud technology.
Profitable: AWS offers cost-effective advanced cloud platform to the
companies deploy and execute their applications (Varia & Mathew, 2014). The organisations
can get advanced benefits at a low cost compared to other cloud technology.
Future prospects: AWS has an engineering future plan for coming two to three
years.
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2.a. The advantages that Webb’s Store can achieve if they use this type of SaaS service
i. Saas provides the facility and they will not have to think about future updates and the
maintenance
ii. SaaS reduces the effort to use the costly servers which need security and daily
maintenance, SaaS offers the profitable services to the customers (Tsai, Bai & Huang, 2014)
iii. SaaS enhances the pace or the speed of execution of the cloud applications thus
providing the users with a deft and efficient application services to the customers.
iv. SaaS helps the users to utilise the Webb’s Store’s application services when they are
active in busy or when customers are on the way.
v. The cloud applications can be utilised everywhere every time.
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