A framework for cloud computing adoption by Saudi Government overseas agencies

This study aims to identify key factors that organizations should consider when deciding whether to adopt cloud computing, and sets out a framework for how these factors can be weighed in order to make a decision. The study uses the Saudi Government agencies as a case study and makes several specific recommendations that pertain to the Saudi authorities' implementation of cloud computing. Although there are many benefits associated with deployment of cloud computing applications, there are also several challenges, such as compliance, legal issues, hosting issues, security, trust and privacy. There are also inadequate resources and guidelines for the policy makers and managers to inform their decision of whether or not to adopt cloud computing. This study identifies a number of factors; technological, environmental, organizational and societal, which need to be considered when an organization decides whether or not to adopt cloud computing. After identifying these factors, the study develops a comprehensive framework for organizations to assess their readiness for cloud computing. In addition, the feasibility of cloud computing applications is assessed so that different delivery and deployment models can be taken into account, and cloud computing evaluated from both business and customer perspectives

The Meaningful Use of Cloud Computing in Healthcare

This dissertation focuses on the meaning of cloud computing for healthcare and its meaningful use in the healthcare industry. If used in a meaningful way, cloud computing is argued to be able to provide major benefits to the healthcare industry. Surprisingly, the benefits promised by using cloud computing often do not hold in practice, and the deployment of cloud computing services in healthcare organizations could lead to countereffects for healthcare. Although existing research studies cover a wide range of domains in healthcare, they often do not explain the way in which cloud computing could support healthcare in a systematic manner. In reply to that insufficiency in the research, this dissertation aims to investigate the phenomenon of cloud computing in healthcare organizations and to answer the following overarching research question: How can cloud computing support healthcare organizations in a meaningful way (i.e., meaningful use)? This dissertation conducted four research studies by employing established explorative research methods. The dissertation begins with a study (study 1) that investigates the basic properties of cloud computing services and their specific meanings for the healthcare industry, and suggests concrete directions for studies related to the meaningful use of cloud computing in healthcare. Study 2 focuses on the identification of industry-specific factors for the adoption of cloud computing services in healthcare, and studies 3 and 4 on an investigation of the way in which cloud computing supports collaborative activities in healthcare, respectively. Both focuses belong to research directions suggested by study 1. By addressing the overarching research question, this dissertation could deepen our understanding of the use of information technology (IT) artefacts that advances information systems theories, not only regarding cloud computing itself but also in terms of more general health IT levels

Strategies for Reducing the Risk of Data Breach Within the Internet Cloud

Businesses are increasingly incorporating cloud computing into their current business models. With this increase, security breach exposure has also increased, causing business leaders to be concerned with financial hardship, operational disruption, customer turnover, and customer confidence loss due to personal data exposure. Grounded in the integrated system theory of information security management, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies some information security leaders in the aerospace and defense contractor industry use to protect cloud-based data from security breaches. The participants were 7 information security leaders from 7 different aerospace and defense contractor companies located in the United States mid-Atlantic region. Data from semistructured interviews were analyzed and compared with 8 publicly available data sources for data triangulation. Emergent themes narrowing this knowledge gap was extracted through an analysis technique such as coding and then triangulated. The recurring themes were (a) strong authentication methods, (b) encryption, and (c) personnel training and awareness. A key recommendation includes information security leaders implementing preventative security measures while improving an organization\u27s ability to protect data lost within the Internet cloud. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase consumers confidence while protecting confidential consumer data and organizational resources, protecting customers from the costs, lost time, and recovery efforts associated with identity theft

Vendor managed inventory adoption in Malaysia construction industry

The growth of the Malaysian construction industry is burdened by conditions in which 'time overruns' in projects still exist. The quest to overcome construction delays motivates the industry to improve its performance by learning from the other industries. Supply chain management is an important aspect of performance in construction projects recognised by literatures in recent years. The distinctive characteristic of supply chain management in construction does compare to other industries to motivate the need to collaborate horizontally and vertically within the construction industry. Vendor- managed inventory (VMI), famous for eliminating additional costs that may result from the excessive supply and stock-in-hand inventory as practised in other industries, may potentially be adopted and implemented in the construction industry. Therefore, conditions in which VMI is suitable to be adopted, barriers to the effort to adopt VMI and the readiness of the contractors to adopt VMI were evaluated in this study. The results of the survey using 97 ClDB grade G7 registered contractors in Malaysia, show that suppliers' market competition, supplier-buyer cooperation, and demand uncertainty positively influence the intention of contractors to adopt VMI. However, notwithstanding that G7 contractors are large contractors in Malaysia, perceived lack of trust and mutual misunderstanding between supply chain partners are considered top among the many barriers to adopt VMI despite evidence that respondents of the study indicate moderate to high readiness to adopt the recommendations of the study. The study contributes to literature on VMI in the area of the construction industry which has not been explored comprehensively