Question

3 Explain how the rise of Open Source Software (OSS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and cloud computing impact hardware sales? Explain how these technologies might impact entrepreneurship and smaller businesses? State what an impact might be based on your text. Qualify the impact in terms of what machines. State what an offset to the impact might be? Sthte a benefit to Entrepreneurs and smal businesses?

Answer 1

1 Open source software(OSS)

Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.

"Source code" is the part of software that most computer users don't ever see; it's the code computer programmers can manipulate to change how a piece of software—a "program" or "application"—works. Programmers who have access to a computer program's source code can improve that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don't always work correctly.

2 Softwre AS a Service (SAAS)

Software as a service (or SaaS) is a way of delivering applications over the Internet—as a service. Instead of installing and maintaining software, you simply access it via the Internet, freeing yourself from complex software and hardware management.

SaaS applications are sometimes called Web-based software, on-demand software, or hosted software. Whatever the name, SaaS applications run on a SaaS provider’s servers. The provider manages access to the application, including security, availability, and performance.

3 Impact of Cloud computing on Hardware sales

i) Lower margins: Traditional hardware vendors now have to deal with volume buyers in A, and when there are large volume buyers, seller typically discount heavily to compete in large deals - that results in low margins for traditional hardware vendors.

ii) Continued displacement/shrinking market share: The second impact of cloud computing is design at scale. The design requirements for cloud datacenters are different from those of traditional datacenters. There is a relentless pursuit of economies of scale benefit at cloud service providers. Traditional hardware vendors (OEMs) for years outsourced their manufacturing to ODMs. These ODMs in Taiwan and China now have significant expertise to not only build, but also design and sell to cloud service providers at much lower cost than the ODMs in the US.

4 - cloud computing helps to improve business

Improved collaboration

Cloud-based programs can be used at any time on almost any device with an Internet connection, a benefit that leads to greater collaboration, particularly for businesses with remote employees. A growing percentage of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) consider the ability to be productive remotely as critical to their operations: 66 percent said they need to allow employees to work anywhere at any time, according to a 2010 survey by Microsoft.

Using Cloud-based software, teams in different locations can collaborate on documents without needing to e-mail attachments and share calendars and task lists from wherever they are. Participants just sign up for the service and access the program over the Internet, without downloading or installing program software.

Lower costs

Cloud-based services can help you save money on many fronts, including server maintenance, power and cooling costs, and software licensing and upgrade expenses. Just under half—49 percent—of SMBs use Cloud computing to lower costs, according to the Microsoft survey.¹ Rather than spending money to maintain hardware that often goes unused, subscribing to software and services for a low monthly fee can help small businesses stretch their budgets further. Along with the ability to scale up to meet increased demand, the Cloud also allows you to scale down during slower periods (e.g., remove users or use less storage space), saving your business money.

Secure data backup

If you don’t have the time or resources to implement a backup strategy—or if you keep your backed-up data on-site—the Cloud can help ensure you are able to retrieve the latest versions of your data in case of an on-site system failure or a disaster, such as fire or flood. You can choose a Cloud-based service to back up your data frequently or automatically to a safe online location, so that if the unexpected happens, you can be back up and running within minutes. Many providers offer geo-redundant backup, meaning your data is saved in multiple centers across multiple locations, to improve security.

Greater reliability

Cloud-based services often can be more reliable than services delivered on-premise, particularly if servers or other hardware are aging. Cloud service providers have a dedicated, experienced IT staff—meaning they can likely resolve problems faster than a small business with only limited IT resources.

Eased resource management

With servers located off-site and their management left to an experienced provider, Cloud computing allows you to focus on what you do best—running your business. Because resources in the Cloud can be accessed as needed, the time it takes to get started with these services shrinks from days to minutes. For small businesses wanting to stretch their resources and be more competitive, working in the Cloud is becoming a must.