In 2011 one-third of South African organisations did not intend to adopt cloud computing services because IT decision-maker lacked understanding of the related concepts and benefits (Goldstuck, 2011). This research develops a media-oriented model to examine the adoption of these services in South Africa. The model uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and innovation diffusion theory (IDT) to develop variables that are considered determinants of adoption including trialability, complexity of understanding, perceived risk, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness.An electronic survey was sent to 107 IT decision-makers. Over 80% of the respondents were C-suite executives. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) method was chosen to depict and test the proposed model. PLS is superior to normal regression models and is a second generation technique. The data analysis included evaluating and modifying the model, assessing the new measurement model, testing the hypotheses of the model structure and presenting the structural model.The research found that media, experts and word of mouth mitigate perceived risks including bandwidth, connectivity and power. Furthermore, trialability and perceived usefulness were affected by social influence, as well as influencing adoption. The results enable service providers and marketers to develop product roadmaps and pinpoint media messages. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Yes / There is increasing evidence that the Cloud Computing services have become a strategic direction for governments' IT work by the dawn of the third-millennium. The inevitability of this computing technology has been recognized not only in the developed countries like the UK, USA and Japan, but also in the developing countries like the Middle East region and Malaysia, who have launched migrations towards Cloud platforms for more flexible, open, and collaborative public services. In Jordan, the cloud-based e-government project has been deemed as one of the high priority areas for the government agencies. In spite of its phenomenal evolution, various governmental cloud-based services still facing adoption challenges of e-government projects like technological, human-aspects, social, and financial which need to be treated and considered carefully by any government agency contemplating its implementation. While there have been extensive efforts to investigate the e-government adoption from the citizens' perspective using different theories and models, none have paid adequate attention to the security issues. This paper explores the different perspectives of the extent in which these challenges inhibit the acceptance and use of cloud computing in Jordanian public sector. In addition to examining the effect of these challenges on the participants’ security perception. The empirical evidence provided a total of 220 valid responses to our online questionnaire from Jordanian citizens including IT- staff from different government sectors. Based on the data analysis some significant challenges were identified. The results can help the policy makers in the public sector to guide successful acceptance and adoption of cloud-based e-government services in Jordan. / Mutah University - Jordan

L'expansion des services en ligne, l'avènement du big data, favorisé par l'internet des objets et les terminaux mobiles, a entraîné une croissance exponentielle du nombre de centres de données qui fournissent des divers services de cloud computing. Par conséquent, la topologie du centre de données est considérée comme un facteur d'influence sur la performance du centre de données. En effet, les topologies des centres de données devraient offrir une latence faible, une longueur de chemin moyenne réduite avec une bande passante élevée. Ces exigences augmentent la consommation énergétique dans les centres de données. Dans cette dissertation, différentes solutions ont été proposées pour surmonter ces problèmes. Tout d'abord, nous proposons une nouvelle topologie appelée LCT (Linked Cluster Topology) qui augmente le nombre de nœuds, améliore la connexion réseau et optimise le routage des données pour avoir une faible latence réseau. Une nouvelle topologie appelée VacoNet (Variable connexion Network) a été également présentée. VacoNet offre un nouveau algorithme qui définit le exact nombre de port par commutateur pour connecter le nombre de serveurs requis tout en réduisant l'énergie consommée et les matériaux inutilisés (câbles, commutateurs). En outre, nous _étudions une nouvelle technique pour optimiser la consumation d'énergie aux centres de données. Cette technique peut périodiquement estimer la matrice de trafic et gérer l'_état des ports de serveurs tout en maintenant le centre de données entièrement connecté. La technique proposée prend en considération le trafic réseau dans la décision de gestion des ports. / Data centers (DC) are being built around the world to provide various cloud computing services. One of the fundamental challenges of existing DC is to design a network that interconnects massive number of nodes (servers)1 while reducing DC' cost and energy consumption. Several solutions have been proposed (e.g. FatTree, DCell and BCube), but they either scale too fast (i.e., double exponentially) or too slow. Effcient DC topologies should incorporate high scalability, low latency, low Average Path Length (APL), high Aggregated Bottleneck Throughput (ABT) and low cost and energy consumption. Therefore, in this dissertation, different solutions have been proposed to overcome these problems. First, we propose a novel DC topology called LCT (Linked Cluster Topology) as a new solution for building scalable and cost effective DC networking infrastructures. The proposed topology reduces the number of redundant connections between clusters of nodes, while increasing the numbers of nodes without affecting the network bisection bandwidth. Furthermore, in order to reduce the DCs cost and energy consumption, we propose first a new static energy saving topology called VacoNet (Variable Connection Network) that connects the needed number of servers while reducing the unused materials (cables, switches). Also, we propose a new approach that exploits the correlation in time of internode communication and some topological features to maximize energy saving without too much impacting the average path length.

During these last recent years cloud computing and cloud services have started to gain traction, which has been most notable among companies. Amazon have proven to be one of the powerhouses on providing scalable and flexible cloud computing services. However, cloud computing is still a relatively new area. From an outsider’s point of view, the overwhelming information and available services might prove to be difficult to familiarize with. The aim of this thesis is to explore how Amazon Web Services can be applied during software development and observing how difficult it might be to use these services. Three test applications that utilized different Amazon Web Services were implemented to get an insight into how Amazon Web Services can be applied from a cloud computing beginner’s point of view. These applications were developed in an iterative manner, where a case study was performed on each application. At the start of each new iteration a literature study was conducted, where sources were reviewed to see if it provided essential information. In total, nine different Amazon Web Services were used to implement and test the three respective test applications. Results of the case study were interpreted and evaluated with regards to the learnability and appliance of Amazon Web Services. Issues that were identified during the development process showed that Amazon Web Services were not userfriendly for users that have little to no experience with cloud computing services. Further research on other Amazon Web Services, such as Elastic Cloud Computing, as well as other cloud computing platforms like Google or IBM, may provide a deeper and more accurate insight on the appliances of cloud computing. / Under dem senaste åren så har molntjänster blivit ett allt mer populärt område, speciellt inom företag. Ett av dem största utgivare inom molntjänst branschen är Amazon som erbjuder skalbara och flexibla molntjänster. Molntjänster är dock ett relativt nytt område, vilket innebär att någon som inte är insatt i ämnet kan finna all tillgänglig information överväldigande och svår att bekanta sig med. Målet med det här tesen är att utforska olika Amazon Web Service som kan användas inom mjukvaruutveckling och observera problem som kan uppstå med dessa tjänster. Tre testapplikationer som använde sig av Amazon Web Services var skapade för att få en fördjupad kunskap om hur dessa tjänster fungerar och vad för möjligheter de har. Dessa applikationer utvecklades iterativt och en fallstudie utfördes för varje applikation. I början av varje ny iteration genomfördes en litteraturstudie, där källorna var kritiskt granskade för att se ifall dem innehöll väsentlig information för tesen. Sammanlagt användes nio olika Amazon Web Services för att implementera och testa de tre olika testapplikationerna. Resultaten från fallstudien tolkades och utvärderades med avseende på Amazon Web Services lärbarhet och tillämpningsbarhet. Problem som samlades ihop under utvecklingsprocessen visade att Amazons Web Services inte var särskilt användarvänligt för utvecklare med liten eller ingen erfarenhet inom Amazon Web Services. Ytterligare forskning inom andra Amazon Web Services som Elastic Cloud Computing och forskning som undersöker andra molntjänst plattformar som Google Cloud, skulle kunna bidra med en djupare förståelse och mer exakt inblick kring tillämpning av molntjänster.

The emergence of cloud computing is influencing how businesses develop, re-engineer, and implement critical software applications. The cloud requires developers to elevate the importance of compliance with security policies, regulations and internal engineering standards in their software development life cycles. Cloud computing and agile development methodologies are new technologies associated with new approaches in the way computing services are provisioned and development of quality software enhanced. However adoption and use of agile and cloud computing by SMMEs in South Africa is seemingly constrained by a number of technical and non-technical challenges. Using Grounded Theory and case study method this study was aimed at exploring the development of a framework for agile methodologies to promote the adoption and use of cloud computing services by SMMEs in South Africa. Data was collected through survey and in-depth interviews. Open, Axial and Selective coding was used to analyse the data. In tandem with its main objective the study, besides exploring the development of the envisaged framework, also generated and made available valuable propositions and knowledge that SMMEs in South Africa using agile development methodologies can use to work better with cloud computing services in the country without compromising on software quality. The findings of this study and the emerging insights around the development of the framework, which in itself also constitutes an important decision making tool for supporting adoption and use of cloud computing services, are a substantial contribution to knowledge and practice in the ICT field of information systems in South Africa / Information Science / D. Phil. (Information Systems)

The expanding adoption of cloud computing services by businesses has transformed IT infrastructure and data management in the computing space. Cloud computing offers advantages such as availability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, making it a favored choice for businesses of all sizes. The aim of this thesis is to compare private and public cloud computing services in terms of pricing and implementation effort as well as comparing the cloud providers to each other. The top three cloud providers that will be examined are Google GCP, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon AWS. The study examines different pricing models and evaluates their effectiveness in different business scenarios. In addition, the thesis also discusses the challenges associated with building and maintaining private infrastructure and the deployment of applications to cloud computing service are examined. The research methodology involves data collection, analysis, and a case study of developing and deploying a ticketing system application on different cloud platforms. The ticket system helps to provide a realistic example and investigation of the cloud providers. The findings will help companies make informed decisions regarding the selection of the most appropriate cloud computing service based on pricing models and implementation efforts. The thesis provides valuable information on private and public cloud computing and recommends appropriate pricing models for different scenarios. This study adds to existing knowledge by analyzing current pricing models and deployment concepts in cloud computing. The thesis does not propose new solutions but follows a structured format compiling information on private, and public cloud computing and a comprehensive review of cloud computing pricing models and marketing efforts. / Den växande adoptionen av molntjänster inom företag har förändrat IT-infrastrukturen och datahanteringen inom datorområdet. Molntjänster erbjuder fördelar såsom tillgänglighet, skalbarhet och kostnadseffektivitet, vilket gör det till ett populärt val för företag i alla storlekar. Syftet med denna avhandling är att jämföra privata och offentliga molntjänster med avseende på prissättning och implementeringsinsatser samt att jämföra molnleverantörerna med varandra. De tre främsta molnleverantörerna som kommer att undersökas är Google GCP, Microsoft Azure och Amazon AWS. Studien undersöker olika prismodeller och utvärderar deras effektivitet i olika affärsscenarier. Dessutom diskuterar avhandlingen också utmaningarna med att bygga och underhålla privat infrastruktur samt implementeringen av applikationer till molntjänster. Forskningsmetodologin omfattar datainsamling, analys och en fallstudie av utveckling och implementering av ett support system på olika molnplattformar. Supportsystemet hjälper till att ge ett realistiskt exempel och undersökning av molnleverantörerna. Resultaten kommer att hjälpa företag att fatta informerade beslut när det gäller valet av lämpligaste molntjänst baserat på prismodeller och implementeringsinsatser. Avhandlingen tillhandahåller värdefull information om privat och offentlig molntjänst och rekommenderar lämpliga prismodeller för olika scenarier. Denna studie bidrar till befintlig kunskap genom att analysera nuvarande prismodeller och implementeringskoncept inom molntjänster. Avhandlingen föreslår inga nya lösningar, men följer en strukturerad format genom att sammanställa information om privat och offentlig molntjänst samt en omfattande översikt av prismodeller och marknadsinsatser inom molntjänster.