Cloud Service Considerations - Business and Legal Issues

Software service - Data storage - Data Management - Internet Security

Cloud service considerations for a business include many operational facets of a business and legal issues.  Each may have their own unique risks as well as benefits.  Cloud services are not new.  Remote access to business data has been part of business and government for decades.  It prominence how ever has been combined with the rise of the software of a service (Saas).  Among the many considerations there is reliability, security, performance, privacy, data and system migration.  These are not all but at least gives a sense of the nature of the considerations that come into play when considering cloud services.

Seldom considered points are legal and regulatory compliance standards and whether the cloud service will be compliant for the business that is operating.  Standards differ from a medical office to a legal and or real estate office.

Aside from the list mentioned there are service considerations as well, i.e., Saas, Paas, or Iaas.  They each have their own set of benefits. Saas provides a service of a software that is run remotely through the company’s browser accessing the service provider’s servers.  Paas provides a platform from which developers are able to develop web applications that are stored on the service provider’s servers. Iaas provides the ability to access web storage space and their servers and as well provides web connections, while the user essentially rents space on their servers.

Loss of control of data on the servers that are only accessed via online. This information that is used in business every day to deliver services includes communications (email) and financial data (bank account).  Therefore, the lack of encryption in cloud services today is below the level for a peace of mind. As well concerning is the ease with in which the cloud service providers provide the data to marketers.  The level of concern among users of cloud services is very high, to say the least.

There are disparate standards that leave the area open for inconsistencies.  Protection of privacy standards for data stored on a computer are more stringent than the ones for data stored in the cloud.  Those pertaining to the cloud lack specificity. Business should consider the implications for their business of the Electronic Communications Act.

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