A generation ago computers were first introduced into businesses and organisations to automate clerical functions and routine transactions. Today, information technology (IT) is an integral part of any manager’s daily life and forms the backbone for every managerial function of the modern organisation. Whether it be integrating ERP systems for operational control, improving customer relationship management using data mining, launching a comprehensive web-based human resource management system, or executing financial transaction in electronic markets, modern information systems (IS) are the life blood of the organisation – linking all the different functions together in an integrated way and getting information to decision makers at the right time and in the right format. Indeed, nearly half of all new capital investment in businesses used to be for information technology and systems.
However, there is a sea change in the manner of investment of firms: instead of investing in capital assets they are now investing in services, which makes the investments minimal and returns quick. Cloud computing is a paradigm in the world of service provisioning which is instrumental in making the concept possible.
In the past, the IS department was responsible for the planning, development, deployment and management of information systems. Today, as managers and organisations have become more dependent on modern systems, which are spread out on the cloud both operationally and strategically, many of these responsibilities have been decentralised to line managers or general managers who are generally unprepared to adequately deal with such responsibility.
This special issue offers an open platform for researchers and practitioners to discuss the shift of IT services from acquiring physical assets to only using appropriate services made possible through cloud computing solutions.
Also, the issue invites discussions around the functional domains and business opportunities generated by service provisioning through the cloud and global approval bodies vis-à-vis standards of the same.
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Information technology service management
- Information technology service standards
- Green computing - cloud computing
- Outsourcing structures, models and relationships
- Pricing models for cloud based services
- Software development life cycle models for cloud computing
- Businesses and or functions on cloud
- Social media as a service impacting the economies
- Cyber security issues on cloud
- Mobile solutions on cloud
- Innovations in IT services
- Case studies of functions, business mergers and acquisitions on the cloud
Important Dates
Manuscript submission: 31 October, 2014
Reviewer reports: 15 March, 2015
Revised paper submission: 15 May, 2015
Final paper submission: 15 July, 2015
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