Potential Benefits

The potential benefits of implementing cloud-based computing are abundant. From an IT standpoint, cloud computing offers “a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software” (Knorr, n.d., p 1). This provides IT personnel with much more flexibility, a vital commodity in the IT field. In September of 2011, Marshall University, a fast growing college, “deployed Opscode's Chef to quickly and easily automate a large portion of its nearly 300 servers” (“Marshall,” 2011, para. 3). Opscode’s cloud infrastructure automation handles more basic operations, which, according to Eric G Wolfe, the senior Linux administrator for Marshall University, “‘frees up resources. Because we are such a small team, the amount of time we can save means we can focus on more complicated problems’” (“Marshall,” 2011, para. 4). Time saving capabilities such as this are of major importance to small IT groups like that of Marshall University.

Cloud infrastructure can help a business save money as well as time. Most obviously, money spent paying personnel would be reduced. Cloud infrastructure not only frees up time for existing personnel, but it alleviates the need for hiring and training of new employees, which is a very cost-intensive process. As Megha Bahree (2011) pointed out in an article about the Tata Group, an India based cloud infrastructure company; cloud-based computing affords “the chance to roll out services without a commensurate rise in staff numbers…[to] small and medium-sized businesses” (para. 7). By accessing utilities in the cloud on an as needed basis and paying per use, these smaller companies can grow their business while committing only a portion of their capital. This shows how, when utilized well, cloud computing can level the playing field for businesses that cannot afford major investments in staffing and software. Basically, cloud-computing allows businesses to save on overhead while simultaneously achieving the benefits of growth.