Analysis of applications and success factors of cloud computing for small- and medium-sized businesses

Thèse de Master , 2012 , 84 Pages , Note: 2.0

Informatique - Informatique Appliquée à la Gestion

Cloud computing is gaining importance in the industry and specially within small and medium-sized companies due to the many benefits in terms of cost savings, faster time to market, scalability, cost flexibility and optimization of resources. Today, cloud computing is considered as the next IT revolution and the number of articles, books, papers and technical reports flood the literature.

Within the scope of this master thesis, relevant cloud computing applications for small- and medium- sized companies are identified and the key success factors for adoption of cloud computing services are analyzed based on the empirical investigation performed as part of this work.

Finally, the benefits and constraints of the different cloud computing service models are presented including also the state-of-the-art research in the cloud computing area and a summary of the most important results.

CONTENTS

Kurzfassung

Abstract

1 Introduction
1.1 Context
1.2 Objective and structure
1.3 Methods

2 Fundamentals
2.1 Fundamentals of software applications
2.1.1 Definition and characteristics
2.1.2 Type of software applications
2.1.2.1 Email communication
2.1.2.2 Office applications
2.1.2.3 Project management
2.1.2.4 Team collaboration
2.1.2.5 Customer relationship management
2.1.2.6 Procurement
2.1.2.7 Web development
2.1.2.8 Unified messaging
2.1.2.9 Enterprise resource planning
2.1.2.10 Fleet management
2.1.2.11 Human resource
2.2 Fundamentals of cloud computing
2.2.1 Definition and characteristics
2.2.2 Computer topology evolution
2.2.2.1 Mainframe
2.2.2.2 Client-Server
2.2.2.3 Mesh topology
2.2.3 Cloud computing service models
2.2.3.1 Infrastructure as a Service
2.2.3.2 Platform as a Service
2.2.3.3 Software as a Service
2.2.4 Advantages and limitations of cloud computing
2.2.4.1 Advantages of cloud computing
2.2.4.2 Limitations of cloud computing
2.3 Fundamentals of success factors
2.3.1 Definition and characteristics
2.3.2 Methods to identify success factors
2.3.2.1 Analysis of demand
2.3.2.2 Analysis of competition
2.4 Fundamentals of small- and medium-sized businesses
2.4.1 Definition and characteristics
2.4.2 Definition of small- and medium-sized businesses
2.4.2.1 Small-sized businesses
2.4.2.2 Medium-sized businesses

3 State-of-the-art research
3.1 Cloud computing in the insurance industry
3.2 Cloud computing in the logistics sector

4 Empirical survey
4.1 Objective
4.2 Method
4.3 Sample
4.3.1 Industry distribution
4.3.2 Employees distribution
4.3.3 Revenues distribution

5 Analysis of cloud computing applications for small- and medium-sized businesses
5.1 Acceptance and usage of cloud computing
5.1.1 Acceptance of cloud computing
5.1.2 Usage of cloud services models
5.2 Cloud computing solutions
5.2.1 Infrastructure as a service solution
5.2.1.1 Storage
5.2.1.2 Processing / Computing power
5.2.2 Platform as a Service solution
5.2.2.1 Application deployment and hosting
5.2.2.2 Storage
5.2.2.3 Development environment
5.2.3 Software as a Service solution
5.2.3.1 Team collaboration
5.2.3.2 Email communication
5.2.3.3 Web development
5.2.3.4 Customer relationship management
5.2.3.5 Project management
5.2.3.6 Unified messaging
5.2.3.7 Office documents
5.2.3.8 Enterprise resource planning
5.2.3.9 Fleet management
5.2.3.10 Human resource management

6 Analysis of success factors for cloud computing for small- and medium- sized businesses
6.1 Security related factors
6.1.1 Overview
6.1.2 Data security
6.1.3 Data storage in Germany
6.1.4 Security audits
6.2 Cost related factors
6.2.1 Overview
6.2.2 Low cost
6.2.3 Price transparency
6.3 Technology related factors
6.3.1 Overview
6.3.2 Service stability
6.3.3 Interoperability
6.3.4 Customization
6.4 Support related factors
6.4.1 Overview
6.4.2 Support in german language via phone and email
6.4.3 On-site support
6.4.4 Support regarding cost efficiency
6.5 Supplier related factors
6.5.1 Overview
6.5.2 Headquarter in Germany
6.5.3 Customer references
6.5.4 Certified employees
6.5.5 Market leadership

7 Conclusions

A Online survey
A.1 Screening
A.1.1 Frage S
A.1.2 Frage S
A.1.3 Frage S
A.1.4 Frage S
A.2 Derzeitige Ausstattung an EDV/IT-Lösungen
A.2.1 Frage G
A.2.2 Frage G6/1a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 1 (E-Mail Kommunika- tion) geklickt
A.2.3 Frage G6/2a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 2 (Unified Messaging) geklickt
A.2.4 Frage G6/2b , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 2 (Unified Messaging) geklickt
A.2.5 Frage G6/3a , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 3 (Textbearbeitung, Tabellenkalkulation und Präsentationen) geklickt
A.2.6 Frage G6/4a , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 4 (Projektmanagement) geklickt
A.2.7 Frage G6/5a , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 5 (Teamzusammenarbeit) geklickt
A.2.8 Frage G6/6a , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 6 (Kundenkontaktman- agement bzw. Kundenpflege - CRM) geklickt
A.2.9 Frage G6/7a , Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 7 (Betriebswirtschaftliche Belange) geklickt
A.2.10 Frage G6/8a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 8 (Personalwesen) geklickt
A.2.11 Frage G6/9a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 9 (Aussendienstunter- stützung) geklickt
A.2.12 Frage G6/10a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 10 (Unterstützung des Einkaufsprozesses) geklickt
A.2.13 Frage G6/11a, Filter: Frage G5 Pos. 11 (Web Applications Development) geklickt
A.2.14 Frage G
A.2.15 Frage G
A.2.15.1 Antwortmöglichkeiten:
A.2.16 Frage G
A.2.17 Frage G11, Filter: G10 Pos. 1-
A.2.18 Frage G12, Filter: G10 Pos. 3-
A.2.19 Frage G
A.2.20 Frage G14, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-4 geklickt (“kommt in Frage“/ “in nächster Zeit geplant“)
A.2.21 Frage G15 , Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-5 geklickt (“kommt in Frage“/ “in nächster Zeit geplant“/“wird bereits genutzt“)
A.2.22 Frage G16, Filter: Frage G15_1 Pos. 1-2 (“SaaS wird bereits genutzt“, “Nutzung ist geplant“)
A.2.23 Frage G21, Filter: Frage G15_3 Pos. 1 (“IaaS wird bereits genutzt“)
A.2.24 Frage G22, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-5 geklickt (“kommt in Frage“/ “in nächster Zeit geplant“/ “wird bereits genutzt“)
A.2.25 Frage G23, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-5 geklickt (“kommt in Frage“/ “in nächster Zeit geplant“/ “wird bereits genutzt“)
A.2.26 Frage G24, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-5 geklickt (“kommt in Frage““in nächster Zeit geplant““wird bereits genutzt“)
A.2.27 Frage G25, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 3-4 geklickt (“kommt in Frage“/“in nächster Zeit geplant“)
A.2.28 Frage G26, Filter: Frage G13 Pos. 1-4 geklickt (“noch nichts von Cloud gehört“/“kommt nicht in Frage“/“kommt in Frage“/“in nächster Zeit geplant“)

List of Figures

List of Abbreviations

Bibliography

• Université: University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg ; Rheinbach
• Note: 2.0
• Auteur: Carlos Andres Loaiza Garcia (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2012
• Pages: 84
• N° de catalogue: V209530
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656371137
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656371595
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: analysis, cloud computing, SMB, application, cloud, factor, success, loaiza, strategy, small and medium sized business, KMU, Kleine und mittlere Unternehmen, Kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen, Erfolgsfaktoren, Anwendung, Email communication, Office application, Project management, Team collaboration, Customer relationship management, CRM, Procurement, Web development, Unified messaging, Entreprise resource planning, ERP, Fleet management, Human resource, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, advantage, limitation, Vorteile, Einschränkung, small sized business, medium sized business, acceptance, usage, solution, security, cost, technology, support, supplier, online survey, carlos andres loaiza garcia