Examples for Cloud Deployment Models in a Business Environment
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Rural areas often do not have access to high-speed fiber connections and thus are
forced to use alternative Internet connections. The distance to the Internet Service
Provider’s next node also has an impact on the available broadband speed. Hence
this means that a company might download files from the cloud very fast, but if they
want to upload bigger files into the cloud it is inversely proportional to the download
speed (Faltus, 2013). Slow uploads may cause a delayed work-flow and imply a
decrease in performance.
Cloud services are mostly standardized services, which also demand a certain
degree of standardization from the company (Seher, 2013). Particularly big
companies often use several systems and applications on-premise, due to the
specific demand of different departments. In order to successfully implement cloud
services, a company first needs to create homogeneity in their infrastructure
(
Höllwarth, 2013). The potential cost-saving aspect of cloud services thus can
vanish, if the prerequisite of homogeneity is insufficient.
Software License Agreements (SLA) regulate the responsibilities and tasks from
both the provider and the company (Faltus, 2013) & (Seher, 2013). Due to the
standardization of cloud services the SLAs often are prefabricated frameworks,
which might lack the necessary clarity in demarcating responsibilities between the
provider and the company. This can become a pitfall in case of a data security
breach for example.
The literature and experts also mention the issue of data espionage, which is closely
related to security, as a potential danger of cloud services. Many companies fear
that cloud services are subject to surveillance by governmental institutions like NSA
or CIA, or by the Patriot Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) of 2001 (Sosinsky,
2010,
pp. 18-19) & (Faltus, 2013) & (Schweighofer, 2013) & (Seher, 2013).
Companies are afraid that their know-how, sensitive data, trade secrets and other
business relevant information is accessed by federal institutions or unauthorized
third parties.
