Search results

Cloud computing is one of the digitalization principles used in some sectors like banking, health and construction industry. This paper aims to examine the benefits of applying cloud computing for construction sustainability in Nigeria.

The cloud computing benefits-related data were retrieved from previous studies and complemented with a questionnaire survey to obtain data from stakeholders involved in the execution of construction projects in Lagos State, Nigeria, through a convenient sampling technique. In addition, the relative importance index (RII) technique was used to investigate the acquired data. At the same time, analysis was accomplished using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Findings indicated that numerous benefits could be derived by adopting cloud computing in the Nigerian construction industry.

The findings from RII analysis showed the significant benefits of data storage ubiquity (i.e. location independence), high situational awareness, team collaboration, compatibility with advanced production facilities and improved project planning. Furthermore, the analysis of these benefits was conducted using EFA for the four construction maxims: construction productivity, back-office activities, design management and billing.

This research illustrated the benefits of cloud computing in achieving a successful construction project. Besides, these findings are not only useful for achieving sustainable construction in Nigeria but also applicable to many developing countries.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of cloud computing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India.

Literature review is used to identify benefits, challenges, and factors concerning usage and adoption of cloud computing by SMEs. A conceptual framework was developed based on the existing theoretical models and factors identified from the literature. A survey based on questionnaire method was followed to collect data from 121 manufacturing SMEs in India. The conceptual framework was refined by using factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.

Major benefits of cloud computing for SMEs include cost advantage, easy deployment process, easier access to latest information and communication technologies, automatic updates and upgrades, scalability, flexibility, and improved disaster recovery and back-up capabilities. The concern area includes perceived loss of control, vendor lock-in, security issues, reliability and availability issues, and internet connectivity and speed. The factors that are found significant include perceived benefits, top management support, competitive pressure, and perceived concerns. The model explained 73 percent of cloud computing adoption.

The study is expected to make significant contribution toward body of knowledge pertaining to information technology adoption in SMEs.

The study is expected to provide SMEs an insight into real benefits and challenges associated with adopting cloud computing. The model can help SMEs in evaluating their readiness for adopting cloud computing and can ensure successful outcome of cloud computing adoption in SMEs. Providers are also going to be benefited through their enhanced understanding of SMEs’ requirements.

The proposed framework incorporates all the relevant factors including perceived benefits, perceived concerns, and other organizational and environmental factors to improve model’s predictive power.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption of cloud computing as a digital technology by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and assess its impact on sustainability of such enterprises.

A model was developed that featured factors influencing SMEs sustainability. Primary quantitative data was gathered using a survey as an instrument. Total set of n = 387 responses were gathered using a convenience sampling method.

Findings reveal that cost reduction, ease of use, reliability and sharing and collaboration factors have significant statistical impacts on SMEs sustainability, whereas privacy and security factor has no significant statistical on SMEs sustainability.

The study poses significant implications on managers and SME development authority to create an inductive environment for technological support for SMEs’ sustainability.

The study enhances SMEs’ performance and sustainability by upgrading their existing information and communications technology as a digital infrastructure and benefiting from novel IT-based cloud revolution. Several studies have provided an understanding of the use of cloud computing services in SMEs but lack enough information about the challenges and impact on SMEs sustainability.

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of Cloud Computing as a multilayer integrative collaboration space for knowledge acquisition, nurturing and sharing. The paper will pinpoint benefits and challenges of Cloud Computing in satisfying the new techno-sociological requirements of the knowledge society through the provision of information technology (IT) green services. Furthermore, the article calls for the engagement of researchers to generate additional discussion and dialog in this emerging and challenging area.

The paper applies a conceptual analysis to explore the utilization of the Cloud ecosystem as a new platform for knowledge management (KM) technologies characterized by environmental and economic benefits.

This paper reveals the emergence of a new layer in the Cloud stack known as Knowledge Management-as-a-Service. The article discusses how KM has the opportunity to evolve in synergy with Cloud Computing technologies using the modified Metcalfe’s law, while simultaneously pursuing other benefits. This research reveals that if Cloud Computing is successfully deployed, it will contribute to the efficient use of the under-utilized computing resources and enable a low carbon economy. However, challenges such as security, information overload and legal issues must be addressed by researchers before Cloud Computing becomes the de facto KM platform.

While the technical, legal and environmental complications of Cloud Computing have received the attention warranted, the KM concepts and implementation facets within the realm of the knowledge society have not yet received adequate consideration. This paper provides enterprise KM architects, planners, chief information officers (CIOs) and chief knowledge officers (CKOs) with a comprehensive review of the critical issues, many of which are often overlooked or treated in a fragmented manner within the Cloud environment.

Although cloud computing has been heralded as driving the innovation agenda, there is growing evidence that cloud computing is actually a “slow train coming”. The purpose of this paper is to seek to understand the factors that drive and inhibit the adoption of cloud computing, particularly in relation to its use for innovative practices.

The paper draws on a composite research base including two detailed surveys and interviews with 56 participants in the cloud supply chain undertaken between 2010 and 2013. The insights from this data are presented in relation to set of antecedents to innovation and a cloud sourcing model of collaborative innovation.

The paper finds that while some features of cloud computing will hasten the adoption of cloud, and its use for innovative purposes by the enterprise, there are also clear challenges that need to be addressed before cloud can be adopted successfully. Interestingly, the analysis highlights that many of these challenges arise from the technological nature of cloud computing itself.

The research highlights a series of factors that need to be better understood for the maximum benefit from cloud computing to be achieved. Further research is needed to assess the best responses to these challenges.

The research suggests that enterprises need to undertake a number of steps for the full benefits of cloud computing to be achieved. It suggests that collaborative innovation is not necessarily an immediate consequence of adopting cloud computing.

The paper draws on an extensive research base to provide empirically informed analysis of the complexities of adopting cloud computing for innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of two technologies, cloud computing and Web 2.0, on a firm’s operational performance, examining the relationship between these two technologies and operational performance, and the mediating role played by supply chain integration.

A random sample of 394 companies taken from the DUNS 50,000 database in Spain is used to test the paper’s hypotheses. The data were gathered by telephone survey using the CATI computerized system to manage interviewees’ answers, obtaining a 19.36 percent response rate. Factorial analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses.

The results suggest that cloud computing requires the mediating support of supply chain integration. However, there is no concluding evidence that Web 2.0 has a positive effect on either supply chain integration or operational performance. A positive, significant relationship was found between supply chain integration and operational performance in all the models used.

Further research and longitudinal analyses should be carried out in a range of industrial and geographical settings to confirm the findings of this study. Further analyses could also extend the scope and generalizability of results by analyzing the assimilation of supply chain integration-related inter-organizational information systems, such as the effect of ERP systems on performance. Another future direction for research is a study of the impact of the joint assimilation of internal and external integration practices on operational performance.

Managers should be aware of the key role that trust plays in the information-sharing process in conjunction with supply chain management. Trust and information-sharing are two inextricably linked elements that enable greater supply chain integration to translate into better operational performance. This paper can also make managers more aware of the powerful tools that exist in the cloud computing universe and those that come under the umbrella of Web 2.0. Companies can use the findings of this paper to create new applications to facilitate supply chain integration. Some examples are also given of how cloud applications can be applied to better integrate the supply chain and, ultimately, to improve overall operational performance.

This is one of the first attempts to disentangle the effects exerted by cloud computing on company performance through the mediating role of a higher supply chain integration. The value of this study relies in that academics and practitioners may have a supporting evidence on the role played by a new, disruptive technology such us cloud computing in, internal, operationally linked structures such as supply chain integration and how this combination transforms into better operational outcomes.

While many studies have predominantly looked at the benefits and risks of cloud computing, little is known whether and to what extent institutional forces play a role in cloud computing adoption. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of institutional factors in top management team’s (TMT’s) decision to adopt cloud computing services.

A model is developed and tested with data from an Australian survey using the partial least squares modeling technique.

The results suggest that mimetic and coercive pressures influence TMT’s beliefs in the benefits of cloud computing. The results also show that TMT’s beliefs drive TMT’s participation, which in turn affects the intention to increase the adoption of cloud computing solutions.

Future studies could incorporate the influences of local actors who might also press for innovation.

Given the influence of institutional forces and the plethora of cloud-based solutions on the market, it is recommended that TMTs exercise a high degree of caution when deciding for the types of applications to be outsourced as organizational requirements in terms of performance and security will differ.

The paper contributes to the growing empirical literature on cloud computing adoption and offers the institutional framework as an alternative lens with which to interpret cloud-based information technology outsourcing.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate switching intention from traditional enterprise information systems (EISs) to private cloud EIS in large enterprises. The authors propose that the factors motivate and inhibit enterprises’ switching intention to private EIS by integrating technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework and two-factor theory.

A research model draws from TOE framework and two-factor theory. Data were collected from 227 top managers and owners of the enterprises in China and used to analyze 11 hypotheses.

The results show that the technological context (compatibility), organizational context (financial support) and environmental context (vendor support and industry pressure) significantly influence switching benefits while data security and costs significantly influence switching costs. Switching benefits and switching costs significantly influence switching intention.

Past studies have focused mainly on the adoption of cloud computing. However, few studies have addressed the switching issues, especially in large enterprises. The findings are useful to understand switching issues from traditional EIS to private cloud EIS for both researchers and practitioners.

It is an unfortunate truth that hotel industries are sometimes behind the curve when it comes to adopting the latest technology. In the competitive environment of the hotel industry, a sophisticated portfolio of information systems applications and high-quality information technology infrastructure play a key role in hotel performance in the world. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Technological, Organizational, and Environmental factors and business benefits of cloud computing adoption on the hotel sectors’ competitive capabilities. Previous studies in Asian countries have shown that adoption of cloud computing is significantly beneficial in hotel businesses. Having that this research study sough to explain the impact of cloud computing adoption using security concerns, top management support, cost saving, and competitive pressure relative advantages. The study was conducted among randomly selected 30 star graded hotels in Sri Lanka. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among managerial and ICT professionals who were capable of making ICT decisions. The results of the data analysis revealed that cloud computing adoption level is still low among star hotels in Sri Lanka and Security Concerns, Top Management Support, Cost Saving, Competitive Pressure, and Relative Advantages are having significant impact on cloud computing adoption in the hotel sector in Sri Lanka.

Start‐up companies in particular can benefit from cloud computing services, since frequently they do not operate an internal IT infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to present a total cost of ownership (TCO) approach for cloud computing services.

The authors applied a multi‐method approach (systematic literature review, analysis of real cloud computing services, expert interviews, case study) for the development and evaluation of a formal mathematical TCO model.

It was found that decision processes in cloud computing are conducted ad hoc and lack systematic methods. The presented method raises the awareness of indirect and hidden costs in cloud computing.

Some restrictive assumptions were made. For instance, cost types that focus on an existing internal IT infrastructure were hidden. Future research can combine risk and security aspects by means of a TCO approach. Additionally, benefits management in cloud computing is another new research field that can, for instance, be explored by means of cost‐benefit analyses.

The analysis of relevant cost types and factors of cloud computing services is an important pillar of decision making in cloud computing. The software tool allows for an easy application of the TCO model with reasonable effort.

The paper provides an evaluated mathematical model for the calculation of the TCO of cloud computing services. With this tool, decision makers are able to decide whether outsourcing into the cloud is monetarily attractive; to be more specific, whether the costs associated with cloud computing services are lower than with a pre‐existing infrastructure.