How Businesses Can Use Cloud Computing Technology

¶ … organizations can do to protect client data comprehensively and how they do this. It will also examine the most common forms of data customers generate, and take a look at some of the contemporary hardware and software that organizations protecting and handling data in the cloud use presently.

Common Types of Customer Data

Data Identity:

The individual is at the core of any database, so gaining an insight into how a person is, and having the ability to maintain a homogenous point-of-view for customers is the first step in the identification of data. This should embrace all the information that can make it possible for a person to be specially identified (Roberts, 2013)

Such information should include:

Personal information -- Date/place of birth, gender etc.

Postal Address -- Address line, street, name of building, number of building etc.

Identity -- Title, first name (Surname), forename, designation, letters etc.

Contact -- Work telephone number, home number, mobile number, email addresses both official and personal

Information about social platforms -- LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and so on.

Job information -- Job description, company name, department etc.

Suppression and permission data- this is not distinctly an element of identity data but it is equally crucial in determining reasons for not communicating or suppression and permission to use the information.

Account information -- IDs, user IDs, and other details of you client accounts

Quantitative Data:

The next important element once it is clearly understood who the individual is, to try to understand how the client behaves, reacts or transacts with the firm. This is to facilitate acquisition of operational data that is measurable. Any activities completed or transacted between the business and the customer should be integral to this information (Roberts, 2013):

Communication information -- outbound and inbound: These should include channels of communication, dates, click throughs, opens and so on.

Online activities: products viewed, online registrations, and websites visited etc.

Transaction information (offline and online) Number of products viewed, actual products purchased, order renewal dates, abandoned baskets or products never actually purchased, products returned and subscription or order value etc.

Social Network Activity -- Tweets on Twitter, Facebook likes, etc.

Customer Services Information -- Customer query details and complaint details etc.

Descriptive Data:

A good market database starts with understanding the type of activities that the customers complete and getting to understand clientele personalities (Roberts, 2013).

It is equally important to gain a comprehensive insight of any additional profile information that the customer might have. This should furnish the firm with further information about the client beyond the quantitative and identity details including but not limited to:

Lifestyle details- type and number of cars, the kind of property they own, pets, and hobbies etc.

Career information: educational standards, professional ambitions, and current designation.

Family information: number of children, marital status, the age of children etc.

Qualitative Data:

The final type of data that one is likely to encounter pertains to the potential behavior of the customer, and further descriptions of the client. This is often generated in form of a questionnaire that details facts such as their opinion and motivations (Roberts, 2013):

Motivational insights answers questions such as why the product was purchased, that is for personal use or as a gift for another person, and the main reason why the product was purchased, that is in terms of locality, quality and price.

Opinion regarding their favorite holiday destinations, the restaurants they frequent and their preferred holiday destinations.

Information about attitude such as how they rate the product's value, their view of the customer service and how likely they are to make a repeat purchase.

Cloud Computing Technology

By simple definition, cloud computing simply refers to retention and protection of data in cyberspace. It can also be called internet computing because the internet is sometimes called the cloud. This is the origin of the term -- cloud computing -- because it entails computing that takes place over the internet. It is a very convenient form of using computers because it enables internet users frees access to their data regardless of their location, when they need it and how they want it without worrying about storage devices or management and maintenance of any external resources. More important is the fact that databases retained in the cloud are highly scalable and dynamic. It is a form of computing that is much more advanced than automatic computing, utility computing or grid computing (Kumari et.al).

In terms of information technology and computing in general, it is a very independent platform. The best examples of cloud computing include Google applications such as Google Drive, Sky Drive in Outlook, Dropbox and many others. These applications can be easily accessed using any type of browser once they are installed on a computer. They can also be accessed by thousands of computers on the internet as long as one has the relevant password and username.

Cloud computing makes it possible to gain access to common internet traffic and shared resources such as Google Docs. It enables services to be dispensed on demand over any chosen network so that operations meeting the ever-evolving communication and business needs can be made possible (Kumari et.al). What makes this form of computing unique is the fact that the physical or actual location of the devices and resources being accessed is always unknown to the end user. It also avails a convenient platform on which users can manage and deploy their resources and data, or develop their databases on the cloud. This technology incorporates visualization of resources capable of managing and maintaining themselves on the cloud.

How Organizations Can Protect Customer Data Using Cloud Technology

Consumers' sensitive personal data may be exposed to remarkable security and privacy risks as a result of the ubiquitous nature of cloud computing. Earning the client's ultimate trust by guaranteeing maximum security and assured privacy for sensitive client data is a crucial challenge cloud computing industry is presently facing (King & Raja, 2012). Also facing challenges in regulating consumer data security and privacy are government agencies tasked with enforcing data protection laws, which were promulgated with only national borders in mind. In order to make sure that computer networks are secure, health care providers, for instance, need to follow best industry practices. Some of the most important elements of this move are password protection, antivirus protection; strong security protocols and firewalls because innovations are progressing towards building national and international infrastructure for electronic health information. In many instances, healthcare professionals have been known to undermine protection of passwords by letting them remain signed on multiple computers or in their usernames when the devices are not within their control (Taitsman et.al, 2013).

The small conveniences made possible by this practice come at the expense of personal data that is faced with risks of breaching. However, this problem can be addressed through employee training and automatic or timed logouts. In the same vein, professionals should adhere to following secure procedures when using either personal computers or portable electronic devices, and attention paid to data security must not end at the doors of the clinic. Instructive educational materials providing best practices to promote data security and privacy have been created through the collaboration of Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for healthcare providers (Taitsman et.al, 2013). In order to prevent security breaches and safeguard patient information, it is vital that healthcare professionals and the patients themselves collaborate. Both providers and the patients deserve more than normal guarantees. For example, in the event a phone call is answered by a healthcare professional, for an incoming call from a remote place like London (for instance), the inquiry is properly handled and the health data and the patient's privacy is adequately protected.

Many industries that are now based on Information Technology (IT) and the internet from all over the world are moving towards being players in the cloud computing market. Of note are agencies or companies that specifically provide products based on cloud technology such as Salesforce, Apple and the more traditional software corporations like Microsoft. This does not leave out companies that principally offer IT and hardware services like HP and IBM (Berry & Reisman, 2012).

Lastly, there are also major players in the cloud computing market like Amazon and Google that are internet-based companies and mainly offer cloud computing services beside a variety of other functions such as ecommerce. Among the providers of cloud services that are presently active, Software as a Service (SaaS) market is by far the largest. SaaS is closely followed by Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which comes a distant second. The smallest of these players is Platform as a Service (PaaS). The major providers of SaaS include NetSuite, Oracle, Google and Salesforce.com. While in IaaS the major players are Amazon Web Services (AWS) Verizon and Rockspace. Companies that dominate PaaS are Salesforce.com, Google's App Engine, and Microsoft's Windows Azure. One can deduce from the list above that majority of the companies that provide cloud computing services are U.S.- based. Firms from other technologically advanced countries are also keen to get their fair share of this market. The most aggressive of these new entrants is a German-based software company known as SAP. It has extended its sphere of operations to include SaaS that offers different operations and functions that stretch from human resources, finances to manufacturing (Berry & Reisman, 2012).

In the context of cloud computing, the concept of security generally refer to making sure that parties that are not authorized are not able to access sensitive and restricted data. This makes security integral to privacy. In this respect, certain forms of local or domestic laws that makes it mandatory for agencies who provide these services to protect data in many sectors like Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for healthcare providers and Gramm-Leach- Bliley for financial services are measures of both privacy and security. It is usually incumbent for these parties that operate outside the specially protected sectors to include provision for security in any contract for cloud computing services that they sign (Berry & Reisman, 2012).

When the information being entrusted to a provider dealing in cloud computing is sensitive or proprietary, some organizations are often wary of leaving the security of their data at the hands of a third party. However, the purveyors of cloud computing on the other hand contend that their services have several security benefits. Providers are in a better position to detect and predict threats to their networks because all their services and resources are pooled and centralized in the model of the cloud. Since their solutions are not meant to be applied to multiple end-user computers, the providers are better disposed to move fast and defuse a threat in the event that there is a security breach. Major providers of cloud computing are also known to recruit the top brains in computer security.

Cloud computing and portable mobile devices were the centre of discussions about the most essential technological innovations for Certified Public Accountant (CPAs). In an interview, Cieslak (Head of Computer Consulting Company, Arxis Technology) said that mobile devices such as ultrabooks, tablets and phones and the cloud will further assist in integrating new technologies into the daily functions of the CPAs. He added that this is referred to as pervasive computing where CPAs will increasingly use mobile devices to access applications, data and communication based on the cloud (Drew, 2012).

Vetter (Leader at Intacct Corp) also said that the exchange of information with clients will be made more effective and work will be efficiently executed when this connectivity is applied to CPAs. He added that, as several experts have forecast, CPAs will gain a competitive edge in accessing data analysis tools and more robust business intelligence. For instance, Collins (founder and Owner of ASA Research) opined that the new tools would most likely apply XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) and XML (Extensible Markup Language) tags, sophisticated databases and algorithms to speedily analyze the financial activities of a company. These activities can be stratified and sliced in several criteria in order to help in easy identification of potential opportunities for improvements, concerns and risks. Before signing up with any company or agency offering cloud computing services, businesses must diligently research and check out the reputation of such outfits. In order to vet their providers, Phil Agcaoili who is the chief security and information officer at Cox Communication Inc., recommends that the following steps be taken to vet and verify providers of cloud computing (Angeles, 2013):

1. Business and institutions should consider using CAIQ or the Consensus Assessment Initiative Questionnaire that is freely provided by CSA or the Cloud Security Alliance. The CAIQ provides boilerplate or template questions formulated by tens of hundreds of computer and general security professional from around the world.

2. Organizations or businesses make use of cloud technology must demand that providers of this service ensure that the information they have is posted on the Security, Trust, and Assurance Registry or STAR, and that they maintain appropriate levels of security assurance and guarantees.

3. Ensure that the terms of the contracts provided by the service providers contains appropriate and relevant security language, and to ensure guaranteed delivery of service, to establish meaningful levels of service agreements. This is the only way that businesses can be sure that their information and customer data are protected.

Concerns

As an effective tool for transferring part of the risks to the vendor, defining responsibility, gaining assurances and setting expectations, traditional arrangements for outsourcing have always entailed a service level agreements/and/or a contract (Use of Cloud Computing). Sometimes, providers of cloud computing use a take-it-or-leave-it and/or a one-size-fits-all approach to formulate their contractual terms and are often unwilling to enter into such contracts. However, influential and large clients sometimes have a leveraged or leeway to negotiate for special clauses in their contracts. This presents a major difference between cloud services and traditional outsourcing. The questions this raises are how can clients (a) be certain that technical, administrative and physical safeguards define responsibilities and/or responsibilities and expectations? (b) Comply with regulations that strongly advice or compel that vendors who handle susceptible or sensitive data put terms of contract in place.

When a technology generates a lot of interest, there is the potential danger that such measures may be regarded as a panacea. Gartner calls such an occurrence as the highest point of expectations that are inflated in their Hype circles. It is imperative to carefully consider whether the problem that needs solution could be best addressed by an existing technology even as it is believed that it is true cloud computing can be successfully applied to many problems (An Overview of Cloud Computing).

In a description of Bigtable which is Google's system of data storage, it was compared to RDBMSs. There are various problems that can best be solved through the application of a relational database but systems such as Bigtable hardly had any value. For instance, it is a basic stipulation of banking databases that the information about the amount of money in every customer's account must at all times be accurate even as money transfers is taking place between several accounts or when a system crashes. In this kind of transaction a model such as the RDBMS and not Bigtable is very desirable. The ability to correctly execute transactions is more important than the capacity to store petabytes (huge amount) of data.