Introduction
This paper is a report designed to explain if a commercial company named, CU-IT services should adopt cloud computing or not. This paper will therefore be designed to inform the company’s CIO of the evidence-based clarification of cloud computing (a cut-through of the hype that surrounds cloud computing); the evidence-based evaluation of the general benefits and pitfalls of cloud computing; the formulation of a framework that guides the recommendations about cloud computing; how cloud computing complements the company’s corporate strategy and a comprehensive recommendation assessing all the above factors.
Interpreting the Topic
Instruction Words
Explicit content words: ‘general benefits and pitfalls of cloud computing include the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing. Here, an explanation should be given why CU-IT Company should adopt cloud computing, or why it should not adopt cloud computing.
Implicit instruction phrase: ‘evidence-based’ includes the use of scientific and research-based findings to come up with a conclusive recommendation about the research topic. The main objective of evidence-based research is to improve transparency and provide the guarantee that the recommendations given in this paper can be highly relied on.
Implicit Instruction phrase: ‘complements the company’s corporate strategy includes the determination of how cloud computing will support the overall aim, objective or vision of the company. Implicitly, this means a definition of how the paper’s recommendations support the company’s scope and direction. Moreover, the recommendations should explain how they support various organizational departments to work together towards achieving the overall goal of the company.
Content Words
Explicit content words: ‘Cut through’ – the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs define ‘cut through’ as “to penetrate something by cutting; to slice through something” (Schofield, 2008, p. 223). However, in the context of this study, ‘cut through’, means to elaborate an issue that has been continually misunderstood. Here, this analysis is used in the clarification of evidence-based reports about cloud computing (Schofield, 2008, p. 223).
Value Words
‘Recommend’ is a value word for this paper because it explains the ultimate aim of undertaking the entire study. In some quarters, ‘recommend’ means to push for something, like an idea (Schofield, 2008, p. 223). However, in other quarters, ‘recommend’ means to express a good opinion of something or to make a given idea attractive or acceptable in a given context (Schofield, 2008, p. 223). In the context of this study, ‘recommend’ is a strong value word because it shows the ultimate aim of undertaking the entire study.
Scooping words
’Cloud Computing’ includes the “ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction” (Buyya, 2010, p. 5). This is the centre of analysis for this paper.
Framework for Evaluation and Recommendations
This paper uses the ‘synthesis grid’ as the framework for evaluating cloud computing as a specialist area of information technology. This framework analyzes four documents written by Armbrust, Velte, Miller and Gillam. These authors have written, A view of cloud computing, Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online, and Cloud Computing: Principles, Systems and Applications respectively. The ‘synthesis grid’ offers a clarification of cloud computing (according to the four authors), explains the benefits of cloud computing, describes the pitfalls of cloud computing and supports the recommendations (through useful quotes from the four documents analyzed). The following framework analyzes cloud computing in this context.
Synthesis Grid
Thesis
This report will argue that cloud computing enables CU-IT services to meet their future technological needs because the concept is a new frontier that accommodates future technological needs. Here, this report observes that cloud computing enables CU-IT services to be more flexible, dynamic, cost-effective, and free to exchange information (among other factors), thereby making the company more receptive to information technology changes, which is an ideal attitude for virtual development. In this regard, we can see that cloud computing enables CU-IT services to be more focused on the provision of its main services, as opposed to worrying about the company’s technological needs. The business can effectively grow as a result, and the level of service provision is likely to improve in quality. Here, CU-IT services can have better control over its core business functions, as opposed to grappling with the hassle of handling information technology issues. This is the main premise for the adoption of cloud computing in CU-IT services. This report, therefore, affirms that cloud computing is CU-IT’s platform for meeting future technological needs.
Recommendations on Cloud Computing
This paper recommends that cloud computing should be embraced by CU-IT services because most of its departmental functions are complemented by the concept. For instance, the company’s software developers with innovative ideas in internet service provision do not have to be content with the large capital outlays needed in internet service provision or the manpower requirements needed for the same process (Schofield, 2008). In addition, cloud computing allows for the exchange of information across many users because it allows for the centralization of resources in remote locations and offers peak-load capacity. Cloud computing is highly reliable especially in situations where multiple sites are used. Here, business continuity is supported, especially in situations of disaster mitigation. Moreover, cloud computing offers the scalability and flexibility needed when internet services are demanded in real-time because peak-load engineering is unnecessary in this framework.
Information technology gurus such as Armbrust (2010) and Miller (2008) also note that cloud computing offers increased security because most of the service provision infrastructure is centralized and hence it can be easily monitored. Cloud computing does not require the end-users to be familiar with the infrastructure that makes the service provision possible. It also offers the same users the capability of using web-based applications from a remote location (as if they were installed in their computers). In this regard, users can connect to the infrastructure from anywhere because the infrastructure of cloud computing is offline and provided by a third party. Finally, it is easy to maintain cloud computing infrastructure because maintenance services do not need to be done on individual computers. Instead, they are done on common internet infrastructure. From these observations, this study points out that cloud computing is fruitful for many organizations as will be explained in the context of how it aligns with CU-IT services’ future strategies.
How Cloud Computing Aligns with Company’s Future Strategy
Since CU-IT services majors in internet banking services, financial management services and bureau services, it needs a high-security internet service. According to Gillam (2010), cloud computing offers increased security because the network infrastructure is monitored from a central location. Also, since software development is a crucial part of the company’s operations, cloud computing stands to support the company’s goal of excelling in this field because the company’s software developers, with innovative ideas in internet service provision, do not have to contend with the large capital outlays needed in internet service provision, or the manpower requirements needed for the same process. Finally, since CU-IT services aim to provide a satisfactory customer experience, cloud computing offers a platform where businesses can effectively integrate with their customers. Here customers can access the company’s systems, provide feedback, access the company’s products; make payments and such like online transactions. CU-IT Company can therefore gain a lot from the benefits that cloud computing offers (Buyya, 2010, p. 9).
References
Armbrust, M. (2010). A view of cloud computing. Communication of the ACM (PDF), 53 (4), 50– 58.
Buyya, R. (2010). Market-Oriented Cloud Computing: Vision, Hype, and Reality for Delivering IT Services as Computing Utilities (Online book from Google). Melbourne: University of, Australia.
Gillam, L. (2010). Cloud Computing: Principles, Systems and Applications (Online book from Google). New York: Springer.
Miller, M. (2008). Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online (Online book from Google). New York: Que Publishing.
Schofield, J. (2008). Google Angles for Business Users with ‘Platform as a Service (Online book from Google). London: Guardian.
Velte, T. (2009). Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach (Online book from Google). London: McGraw Hill Professional.