Success Factors for Deploying Cloud Computing

The emergence of cloud computing is transforming the way organizations purchase and manage computing resources, providing a fundamentally different IT model in which a cloud provider might be responsible for a range of IT activities. Trust between client organization and cloud provider is a strong predictor of successful cloud deployment. Cloud computing is organized into three standard service models, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Since cloud computing is generally characterized as an IT service, the ability of the client organization to integrate and utilize the vendor's services determines the extent IT benefits are likely to be achieved. Trust develops through communication, procurement, and transactional activities, culminating in the IT manager's perception that the vendor is trustworthy, reliable, evenhanded, and working in the best interests of the client.