The Business Value of Cloud Computing in South Africa

Cloud computing is a prominent trend in the field of Information Technology (IT). Existing research presents the benefits and challenges of cloud computing, however few articles take a corporate approach. Moreover, considering that cloud computing provides numerous benefits, no research has aided the understanding of the business value associated with the technology and the context within which benefits and barriers are realized. The issues in South Africa make it difficult to prove the business value of cloud computing. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the business value of cloud computing using qualitative evidence extracted from an exploratory study. The evaluation results are used to generate a theoretical framework. The themes concluded that cloud computing provides speed and agility as a value driver to organizations. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by promoting an understanding of the business value of cloud computing in South Africa.