Research pick: Brighter days for business with clouds - "Analysing the cloud efficacy by fuzzy logic"

Cloud computing has become an important part of information technology ventures. It offers a flexible and cost-effective alternative to conventional desktop and local computer infrastructures for storage, processing, and other activities. The biggest advantage to startup companies is that while conventional systems require significant upfront investment in hardware and software, cloud computing gives them the power and capacity on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. This model not only reduces initial capital expenditures at a time when a company may need to invest elsewhere but also allows businesses to scale their resources based on demand without extensive, repeated, and costly physical upgrades.

A study in the International Journal of Business Information Systems has highlighted the role of fuzzy logic in evaluating the cost benefits of migrating to cloud computing. Fuzzy logic, a method for dealing with uncertainty and imprecision, offers a more flexible approach compared to traditional binary logic. Fuzzy logic recognises the shades of grey inherent in most business decisions rather than seeing things in black and white.

The team, Aveek Basu and Sraboni Dutta of the Birla Institute of Technology in Jharkhand, and Sanchita Ghosh of the Salt Lake City Electronics Complex, Kolkata, India, explains that conventional cost-benefit analyses often fall short when assessing cloud migration due to the inherent unpredictability in factors such as data duplication, workload fluctuations, and capital expenditures. Fuzzy logic, on the other hand, addresses these challenges by allowing decisions to be made that take into account the uncertainties of the real world.

The team applied fuzzy logic to evaluate three factors associated with the adoption of cloud computing platforms. First, the probability of data duplication, secondly capital expenditure, and finally workload variation. By incorporating these different factors into the analysis, the team obtained a comprehensive view of the potential benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing from the perspective of a startup company. The approach offers a more adaptable assessment than traditional models.

One of the key findings is that cloud computing leads to a huge reduction in the complexity and costs associated with managing business software and the requisite hardware as well as the endless upgrades and IT support often needed. Cloud service providers manage all of that on behalf of their clients, allowing the business to focus instead on its primary operations rather than IT.

Basu, A., Ghosh, S. and Dutta, S. (2024) ‘Analysing the cloud efficacy by fuzzy logic’, Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp.460–490.