Business Environment

In today’s business environment cloud computing is the standard for most company’s information technology (IT) solution for their business needs. A cloud is a virtual computer system that businesses use to run their software and applications through the internet. A vendor comes in and creates an IT solution that is hosted offsite. This solution would run your IT network, operating system, data storage and other IT systems on it. This can bring advantages and disadvantages to a business environment. Cloud computing advantages and disadvantages are the same for a business, and include price, security, control and traffic.

In this case they give us an example in which Amazon is marketing cloud computing. Amazon has created a Web services division (AWS) to get flexible computing power and data storage. This application increases Amazons computing resources, by arranging and allocating these resources.

The case gave us another company as an example the Zynga Company. This company implemented cloud computing, so they would be able to back up files automatically and also transmit their data. This solution reduces the amount of technical support and maintenance cost needed while improving their efficiencies. They could transfer larger data easier than any of their old applications.

Also in this case the company InterContinental used a cloud solution, to provide more convenient services for their customers. Their cloud allows their customer to receive data that is located on a server that is physically closer to them much faster than before they implemented their cloud.

Companies need to look at their complete business needs to see if a cloud computing solution would fit their IT needs. They need to weigh the benefits and risks to see if it would be an advantage or disadvantage to their business environment. As shown in the four cultures of Schneider’s model of organizational culture, some are ready to adopt the model and some