Title: Roles of Cloud Operation Management Framework in improving the ability of IT managers to manage associated organizational resources for cloud services
1.1 Study background and Context
In the contemporary business environment, modern technologies are in a consistent evolvement and increasing their dynamism. One of the most revolutionary technologies has been the internet which has played an instrumental role in digitization of business operations and generation of big data for the use in business intelligence. This form of data is not only significant in its volume but also in its velocity and variety (Chen et al., 2012). As the big data is increasingly becoming more critical in business operations, research evidence that an increasing number of firms globally are adopting business models that can be integrated into digital platforms (Wamba et al., 2015). For the purpose of gaining leverage on competitive advantage from the use of big data through the digital platforms effective storage, accessing and analysis ought to be adopted and integrated successfully. It is in this case that the roles of cloud operational management framework has been evaluated on the best practice to improve the IT managers capacity in managing linked organizational resources for cloud services.
The rationale of managing the associated organizational resources for cloud services is informed by the problem of managing big data particularly in regard to its mining (Chen & Zhang, 2014). The challenge in the extraction of relevant business information from big data could be linked to the fact that such data is ordinarily heterogeneous, imprecise and varying in context of time. As a consequence, there is always a desire for inputting a sophisticated infrastructure of the framework and analytics software in cloud operation management (Demirkan & Delen, 2013). Cloud computing is significantly an innovation which has offered relevant opportunities to resolve the underlying challenges linked with the significant data use. By description, cloud computing is an internet-based technology with a potential of allowing the firms in making the use of all sophisticated computer applications to successfully manage data (Park & Ryoo, 2013). A significant characteristic of this type of innovation is that there is no requirement for the end-user firms to own hardware, software, staff and computing space. It is also this fact that complicates the ability of IT managers to manage associated organizational resources for cloud services.
In the emerging markets, the cloud computing services consumption by the end-user businesses have been uneven (Yeboah-Boateng&Essandoh, 2014). A significant majority of the cloud computing vendors are the large western corporations including Google, Amazon and Salesforce.com which majorly prefer offering their services directly to the large corporations. While the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are significantly attractive clients, vendors find it uneconomical offering their services to this market segment in large volume as a consequence of high costs of distribution and the need for set-up, integration, testing and customer development (CompTia, 2016). As a best traditional practice, this gap in the supply of information technology (IT) products to the SMEs has significantly been solved by the IT channel partners forming a significant part of the wholesalers/distributors and value-added resellers (VARs). As a consequence of the business change towards the adoption of the cloud-based business models, the IT channel partners and providers have had their business models significantly distributed by the involved players (Schein & Lewis, 2015). To ensure a successful merger of their practices, it is essential to establish a successful cloud operation management framework that successfully leads to improvement of the capacity of IT managers to manage associated organizational resources for cloud services. Part of the framework could include setting the roles of the IT managers could include delivery of the infrastructure as a service (Iaas) with a combination of enhancements including Network as Service (NaaS), Software as a Service and Platform as a Service (PaaS) (Manvi & Shyam, 2014).
Opportunities for IT Managers and Channel Partners
While the unique nature of cloud computing characterises a significant challenge to IT managers and channel partners, it is arguable that adoption of the appropriate business model could offer sufficient opportunities for the survival of business and growth. For instance, available research evidence that an increasing number of firms in emerging markets adopt cloud computing technology for information systems services including filing, networking and storage (Ratten, 2016). The increased preference for cloud computing in line with other IT solutions can be linked to distinct factors. First, cloud computing offers online software in a virtual environment hence ensuring it is possible for the firms to be involved in an active synchronization of data from distinct geographic locations (Bhattacherjee & Park, 2014). Secondly, cloud computing does not necessarily have to install their IT infrastructure physically.
As a consequence, firms are in a position of eliminating distinct issues that are linked to the IT infrastructure maintenance, consumption of energy and security issues. The end-user will hence require to the only delve on the core business competencies. The virtual nature of cloud computing increasingly demonstrates that update of files and other documents which are highly efficient (Lacity & Reynolds, 2014).
Cloud computing has equally been found to offer firms of all sizes with a chance of gaining relevant access to critical business intelligence. The small-sized firms are in a position of acquiring sufficient access to compute-intensive business analytics which was in the past only accessed by large firms as a consequence of the involved costs (Sultan, 2014). The available sophisticated data analytics available through the cloud computing equally ensure that there is a more straightforward process in big data successful interpretation. This, in turn, facilitates for more rapid and improved insights on factors of consumer behaviours, performance in terms of sales and the market campaigns practices (Liebowitz, 2013).
1.2 Research problem
In line with the increasing trend of adopting the cloud business model by the end-users, the involved channel partners and IT managers are finding it significantly essential aligning their Cloud Operation Management Framework and overall channels. Research nevertheless demonstrate that the majority of the IT managers have struggled considerably in ensuring that they are proficient in the cloud-related channels and a framework (Schein & Lewis, 2015). As evidenced by Haber (2016), a significant number of the IT managers and the partners have not sufficiently eliminated out from their existing business models which is inclusive of value-added selling or solutions provision. The framework is essential owing to the view that in the cloud-computing model, the IT managers are tasked with the role of identifying particular areas where there is a potential of offering solutions crafted in the form of specific value to their clients. Notably, the cloud computing business is in a manner that the service providers ought to facilitate the end user for defining particular constraints for their organisations needs or selecting from a set of customization options and practices (Menychtas et al., 2014).
In essence, cloud vendors including Microsoft and Amazon represent a critical role in their performance for assisting IT solutions providers in transforming their distinct channels for aligning with the available technology. In the Middle East region, a significant number of IT managers and partners have not been in a position of harnessing a comprehensive transformation of their business models to be in tandem with the cloud-business model. It is hence critical identifying all factors that pose as unique challenges and barriers available in the vendors, partners and the IT managers. This is a critical aspect that is yet to be adequately investigated in the context of emerging markets such as Kuwait and Middle East. Through this, it is possible to establish processes for cloud operations, roles and responsibilities linked to cloud operations, and KPI’s for measuring the overall success of implementations. The current study hence assists in identifying the extent in which the vendors can assist in intervening for ensuring the partner’s leverage from the readiness of their cloud computing and associated organizational resources for cloud services and cloud-related technologies. In regard to the IT service provider failure of enhancing their channels in line with the cloud-business model which can end up compromising the capacity of leveraging and maintaining their position in the existing IT value chain.
In the Middle East region, the uptake of the SMEs is still significantly low (Danaher & Chong, 2014). Substantially, the IT service providers have an implication of increasing the overall cloud consumption through the delivery of services in a manner meeting the local end-user business needs which are not possible with the large vendors and IT managers to directly meet their needs. In this case, end-users have a likelihood of benefiting from cloud business model innovation which could potentially harness the capacity of retaining their current and attracting new clients and using cloud technology in creating new products and services and utilizing payment methods.
1.3 Aim and objectives
This study critically investigates an effective cloud operation management framework to improve the ability of IT managers in managing associated organisational resources for cloud services. As part of the current study, the level in which IT managers and service providers in KUWAIT are adapting their traditional framework and resources to the cloud ready models for the purpose of meeting the consumption needs of the companies. The following objectives would be pursued:
Objectives
- To establish relevant opportunities for cloud services in the KUWAIT market and the resources available
- To investigate the role of IT managers in the management of the cloud services organizational resources in the KUWAIT market
- To investigate the adequacy of measures being taken by IT managers and service providers in ensuring their channels are cloud ready with resources available
- To investigate the challenges faced by IT managers and partners in their process of transitioning from traditional to cloud business models
- To establish the role that IT managers can perform in ensuring that they have sufficient organizational resources for implementing cloud services
1.4 Outcome
This study has established that significant number of past studies have delved on examining the issue of cloud computing on adoption issues from an end-user perspective and the legal and ethical issues (Bayramusta & Nasir, 2016). The issues regarding IT managers roles in the management of their resources have significantly been ignored in available academic research. Available discussions are also available on the successful transition from traditional channels to cloud-ready channels which are available in the form of commentaries by the players in the industry. Accordingly, this study has provided a new theoretical perspective pertaining to the role that IT managers play in the IT industry in organizational resources development particularly in light of cloud computing. The sourced study findings can increasingly act as an impetus for future research in this area of study.
From a practical perspective, the current study is significant to the IT solution providers in distinct dimensions. It has provided relevant perspectives on best practices to start up and secure cloud practices. Additionally, it has provided a significant case regarding the reasons why it is urgent for IT partners to engage in acting with urgency in the period of transition to cloud-business models and relevant organizational resources for cloud services. This study has equally generated relevant views regarding the approaches followed by IT managers in ensuring they are selling and marketing cloud in the Kuwait market and other developing markets where the growth levels are still immensely highly rated.