Cloud Computing for E-Governance

Multidisciplinary experts are required to develop a model for resource management in a country. Various concepts in information and communication technology are required to be applied in designing and developing a model for the management of natural resources. The concepts such as cloud computing along with social media play an important role. Case illustrations are discussed in this chapter stressing the role of cloud computing along with the concepts of collaborative technology in developing models for the benefit of citizens in a country.

Cloud-Based Application Integration in Virtual Enterprises

A key characteristic of a virtual enterprise (VE) is the heterogeneity of the applications that compose its enterprise information systems (EIS), since it builds on the EIS of the individual enterprises that are part of the collaborative network of that VE. This raises an application integration problem, which is even more serious than within any given EIS because a VE has a temporary nature, and therefore, integration requirements can change frequently. Current integration technologies, such as Web Services and RESTful APIs, solve the interoperability problem but usually entail more coupling than needed, since they require sharing data schemas between interacting applications, even if not all values of those schemas are actually used. The fundamental problem of application integration is therefore how to provide at most the minimum coupling possible while ensuring at least the minimum interoperability requirements. This chapter proposes compliance and conformance as the concepts to achieve this goal.

Digital Economy, Business Models, and Cloud Computing

From the invention of writing to the steam engine and to computers, human history has been one of technological inventions and change. In our relatively recent past we have witnessed several technological revolutions which rapidly replaced one set of technologies by another, and in the process created what Schumpeter called the creative destruction. Today, we are witnessing a technological revolution that is changing the way we live, work, and communicate. We call this the digital revolution which brings with it new technologies, methods, and business models. This chapter discusses the digital revolution and the platform business model. This business model is used by many “sharing economy” businesses such as Airbnb and Uber. The success of this business model is dependent on the rapid expansion of its user-base. This business model requires infrastructure and applications that can cope with this rapid expansion. Cloud computing has been providing these services.

Cloud-Based Design and Manufacturing

Cloud-based manufacturing is a computing and service-oriented model developed from existing advanced manufacturing models and enterprise technologies with the support of cloud computing, IOT, and virtualization. In this chapter, various definitions of cloud manufacturing are discussed. New service models other than the existing cloud computing service models are being discussed elaborately. Cloud-based design manufacturing is also being discussed. A comparison of cloud manufacturing and cloud-based design manufacturing is elaborately discussed. Key technologies and challenges in cloud manufacturing are highlighted.

BIG Data

The basic functions such as production, marketing, and finance continue to be the same from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy. Business processes, procedures, methods, strategy, management thinking, and approach related to basic functions have been changed due to global market competition. Consequent to global competition, business activities have become more complex. Due to this complexity, the type and quantum of information required by the business enterprises are increasing. It is interesting to note that information and communication technology is providing many new concepts to handle and manage the complex information to remain competitive in the global market. The concepts such as big data and cloud computing along with other collaborative technology facilitate creating conceptual business models for facing realities in the global market. This chapter mainly explains with two case illustrations of the importance of the above concepts for developing business models for textile and retail sectors.

Providing Healthcare Services in the Virtual Environment

The concept of cloud computing provides a good scope for making use of information for knowledge updating among the medical fraternity. Large data are generated and available for analysis. One should know how well the data can be used for analysis and taking care of the patients. Medical fraternity needs to update with the latest knowledge to provide good healthcare services to patients. Software tools along with the concepts of collaborative technology are required to make use of the data and information stored in the cloud computing environment by the healthcare service institutions. Medical research group and software professionals can form a team to develop business models useful to the healthcare sector. This chapter explains with case illustrations designing and developing business models under the cloud computing environment with the concepts of collaborative technology.

A Requirements Approach for Building an Enterprise Cloud Service Catalog

In the context of cloud computing, the service catalog is a critical component of the cloud computing architecture. Most cloud computing projects will invariably begin with a discussion of what IT services an enterprise needs. Even when end users have a cloud environment, the business still wants to know which cloud services we need and how much does it costs. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service design defines a service catalog as a list of technology-enabled services that an organization provides, often to its employees or customers. More specifically, the service catalog is an expression of the operational capability of a service provider or enterprise within the context of an end customer, a market space, or an internal business unit stakeholder. Unfortunately, most service catalogs are built by technologists for technologists. This design methodology is fine assuming the user of the catalog is an information technology professional.

Business Intelligence and Cloud Computing

Organizations need to make quick and quality decisions to survive in today's competitive environment. The business intelligence (BI) market has moved away from IT-centric solutions to user-driven solutions. Business intelligence and cloud computing are two important technologies that have been widely adopted in business organizations in recent years. Interestingly, the two technologies have merged together to deliver superior benefits for businesses. Business enterprises are moving their business applications to cloud platforms to become more agile and accessible. The key benefit of cloud-based business intelligence applications is the ability to access on multiple devices like laptops and mobile phones from different locations. In this chapter, the authors outline the benefits, challenges, and trends involved in deploying business intelligence technology through cloud computing platforms. They discuss how the consolidation of these two emerging technologies can enhance the businesses to improve decision-making processes. They also address the challenges cloud-based BI faces.