Cloud Computing Business in Saudi Arabia

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2014 in the subject Computer Science - Commercial Information Technology, grade: 4.5, Egerton University, language: English, abstract: Cloud computing has 3 primary service models including SaaS, IaaS and PaaS, which are classified depending on the level for which a service user interacts with the service provider's systems in accessing memory, processing power and storage. Deployment models of cloud computing include hybrid, community, public and private clouds depending on the approach to hosting and the number of clients sharing a resource. Due to the prohibitive nature of private cloud computing and requirement for specialized systems in community clouds, the most suitable approach to cloud computing for small and medium enterprises is public cloud computing. In this regard, this study was aimed at determining the extent to which implementation of public cloud computing by enterprise companies is feasible. Due to the cultural and the absence of law in Saudi Arabia ensuring the protection of data in the cloud, challenges in implementing cloud computing in the country are related to adherence to the data governance structure. For instance, privacy and security are important for enterprise companies since the local culture values the safeguarding of family and individual information. In addition, information transferred through the cloud system must adhere to the conservative philosophy and data privacy, which limits the level of compatibility in cloud computing between Saudi Arabia and the western world. Since most service providers are based in the west, companies have to identify a service provider that tailors its products to suit the market in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, implementation of public cloud computing in Saudi Arabia is feasible as long as companies select a service provider with a positive reputation, limit posting of sensitive information to the cloud server, and implement cloud computing gradually to avert the possibility of complete failure. This study determined that SaaS cloud computing is feasible for enterprise companies in Saudi Arabia, but further study is required to examine the feasibility of IaaS and PaaS. In addition, a larger study should be done to collect quantitative data to determine the implications of cloud computing in a representative sample.