Question

Prepare a 1500 word report on introducing cloud computing into an organisation’s operations. Based your report on a specific business or operation. You will need to conduct additional research to provide specific information relating to the selected organization. Your report should: • Review the organisation’s computing needs • Investing cloud computing services to meet the organisation’s computing needs • Provide a plan for the implementation of cloud computing into the business • Discuss the support needs for introducing cloud computing into the organisation.

note: business may be any hypothesis business

Answer 1

Cloud computing is the delivery of on demand computing services over the internet and on a pay as you go basis. it includes computing services from applications to storage and processing power. In cloud computing rather than owning your own computing infrastructure or data center businesses can rent the access of these services from a third party provider.  

Now consider a multi-national FMCG company that is spread all over the world. It has different factories, research labs, corporate offices and hundreds of employees. Now this company will have different departments and different computing needs for smooth and uninterrupted day to day activities. Now the advantages of implementing cloud computing would be the following:

1. Reduced cost: Cloud computing cost is paid incrementally, saving the business money. Since this is a multi-national company they will not have to buy and set-up their own hardware in every country. Also because the software development cost is divided among many participants, it is generally cheaper than traditional computing methods.   

2. Increased storage: Since the company does not need to buy their own hardware they will have increased storage as per their requirement which will be provided by the third party who they hire for the cloud computing services.

3. Highly automated: Cloud computing is highly automated and the company will not need to hire any IT personnel for it.

4. Increases mobility: Employees of the company can access all the information they want from anywhere they want instead from their own desks. Cloud computing offers mobility of both data and applications.

Since there are so many advantages of cloud computing we need to go step by step in how to implement cloud computing for this organisation. They are discussed as below:

1. Grid computing: This involves connecting all the computers so as to combine their processing power. With this configuration, an organisation can make use of other computers to solve problems involving large-scale, complex calculations. Each participant in a grid is referred to as a “node.” Cost savings is a major advantage of grid computing because companies don’t have to purchase additional equipment. All the computers of the organisation need to be connected by the grip for smooth transaction to cloud computing.    

2. Application service providers: Internet Service Providers provide connection to the internet for a fee. Application Service Providers (ASP's) similarly provide application software or services according to the organisations need. The ASP's have all up-to-date software's so the organisation do not need to worry about the same. For cloud computing have an internet connection is compulsory so as to be connected to the cloud services 24-7.

3. Utility Computing: In this service providers provide computing or storage services for a fee as per demand. Now to reduce cost the company can use these services instead of purchasing and maintaining their own storage devices. Storage devices maintained by the company can be kept at a minimum for only very critical information containing files.

4. Cloud computing: Cloud computing has successfully incorporated the above steps under one platform so that a variety of resources can be used by an organisation over the internet. Business applications can be accessed using a web browser, and data is stored on the service providers servers. Now the company can implement cloud computing by using the services of any of the top players in cloud computing. Some have been identified below:

Cloud categories	Players
Foundation	Microsoft, Red hat
Infrastructure	Amazon, IBM
Network services	Cisco, Amazon
Applications	Oracle. Google
Security	IBM, Symantec
Management	IBM, Amazon
Platform	IBM, Amazon

      

5. Security issues in cloud computing: There are two type of security issues that arise in cloud computing; one is from the client side and the other is from the server side. The organisation will provide training and education to its employees to make sure that their is no breach of security from the organisations side. Also the organisation will work with its cloud computing provider in order to spot unusual activities. Security measures will be implemented in the form of bio-metric control, access control and data encryption.

6. Now that all of the above steps have been considered cloud computing platform will be implemented by the following steps:

(a) Setting up a cloud computing committee with representatives from all departments as well as upper managementwhich will be responsible for the following:

- Developing a clear and detailed cloud computing acquisition and using plan.

- Providing cloud computing awareness for the key decision makers and end users

- Conducting a basic cost/benefit analysis and calculating an Return On Investment for the cloud computing implementation

(b) Clearly defining the organizations need. This will help in deciding if the organisation will need a full featured cloud platform. Since this company is multi-national with various branches all over the world it is better to use full cloud platform for better efficiency and cost effectiveness. Only the research labs will be provided with a much more secure company maintained server for research findings and product formulas.

(c) Software updates on all the systems will be compulsory and work will be done with the cloud computing provider in order to spot unusual activities.

(d) All the cloud computing providers will be examined and the one with the best offering for the organisations need will be selected.

(e) Employees awareness on cloud computing and its security will be raised.

(f) Terminated employees passwords will be immediately revoked.

(g) Access of the employees will be limited as per their needs.

These are all the steps that will be taken for successfully implementing cloud computing in the organisation.