Innovatively Utilizing Cloud Computing To Minimize Challenges to Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) Business Operations
Michael Kwabena Kwakye-Okyere
Michael Kwabena Kwakye-Okyere, School of Management Studies, Yangtze University, Jing Zhou City, China, Affiliated to Kumasi Technical University, P. O. Box 854 Kumasi, Ghana.
Manuscript received on February 05, 2017. | Revised Manuscript received on February 17, 2017. | Manuscript published on February 25, 2017. | PP: 5-10 | Volume-4 Issue-8, February 2017. | Retrieval Number: H1142024817
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are very important business entities that contribute immensely to economies of the world, unfortunately SMEs have challenges in their business operations compared with the bigger firms and find it difficult to survive in a dynamic global economy. Survival, growth and success of SMEs are the priority of every nation especially in developing economies. The aim of this paper is to introduce Cloud Computing as an IT solution for SMEs by identifying the key features, benefits and how CC can be strategically employed. CC as an advanced Technology can enhance SME business operations and make them competitive in a dynamic global market by reducing cost through a more scalable IT infrastructure model, reengineer business processes through the application of PaaS, SaaS, IaaS, CaaS, NaaS and be innovative in order to keep up with current trends. Reviewing existing literature on CC in the form of books, journals and articles showed that SMEs in developed economies’ reliance on cloud computing help improved their business operations significantly. The major outcome of using CC is that SMEs are able to reduce both capital and operational expenditures associated with IT Infrastructure, improve their business operations and be innovative.
Keywords: Cloud Computing (CC), Innovation, IT Infrastructure, Reengineering, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), SME Business Operations.