Controlling data in the cloud

TLDR

Cloud computing offers cost‑efficiency and flexibility, yet persistent concerns threaten its adoption. The study aims to characterize the problems hindering cloud adoption and assess their impact. The authors describe how combining existing research thrusts could alleviate these concerns. They find that advances in trusted computing and encryption could make cloud computing more advantageous for business intelligence than isolated alternatives.

Abstract

Cloud computing is clearly one of today's most enticing technology areas due, at least in part, to its cost-efficiency and flexibility. However, despite the surge in activity and interest, there are significant, persistent concerns about cloud computing that are impeding momentum and will eventually compromise the vision of cloud computing as a new IT procurement model. In this paper, we characterize the problems and their impact on adoption. In addition, and equally importantly, we describe how the combination of existing research thrusts has the potential to alleviate many of the concerns impeding adoption. In particular, we argue that with continued research advances in trusted computing and computation-supporting encryption, life in the cloud can be advantageous from a business intelligence standpoint over the isolated alternative that is more common today.