Cloud computing (CC) is an emerging usage of IT outsourcing (ITO) that needs software companies in India to fine-tune their sourcing procedures. Although software companies in India have recognized an extensive knowledge based on the basis that drive sourcing choices from numerous theoretical standpoints. The mainstream of cloud-sourcing decisions concentrates on technological aspects. The most determinant factors of sourcing decisions in the ITO context persist valid for the CC context. Stillthe findings for some factors (i.e. asset specificity, client firm IT abilities, institutional influences, client firm size and uncertainty) are indecisive for the ITO and CC contexts.
Cloud computing (CC) influences how organizations cope and manages their IT landscape, challenges outdated IT governance approaches, and requires organizations to fine-tune their sourcing processes. With cloud computing, organizations can achieve on-demand network access to a common pool of managed and scalable IT resources, such as storage, applications and servers. Since IT sourcing decisions require substantial economic and strategic risks, Software outsourcing companies in India should have broad judgment and insight regarding organizational structures, organization processes, inter dependencies and routines to thoroughly comprehend decision substitutes and the set of required structural selections.
width="570"
Following are the factors that software companies in India, can consider for organizations willing to adopt cloud computing.
Asset characteristics
Asset specificity is used in reference to three key categories of assets: physical asset specificity(similarly referred to as technical specificity), site specificity and human asset specificity.
The increased network reliance of cloud computing increases the risks that disturb site specificity, such as the risk of service breakdowns because of probable network outages, which may result in a momentary loss of data accessibility. Therefore, site specificity requires precise consideration for assets that are required on a day-to-day basis (e.g. a customer relationship management system – CRM System).
Technical specificity may however generate transaction charges when applications are run remotely but these increased transaction costs do not surpass cost savings rising from economies of scale. Thus, these cost savings may humbly outweigh issues related to technical specificity. Furthermore, the impact of technical specificity is expected to vary with organization size and other parameters. However, SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions are restricted in terms of their customizability, which limits the exclusivity of assets that are outsourced via cloud computing. So assets with low technical specificity might be more appropriate for SaaS-based sourcing and applications. High technically specific assets that surpass the configuration and customization limits of SaaS solutions may nevertheless be contenders for outsourcing the underlying infrastructure or PaaS solutions.
Human asset specificity yields inconsistent results.
Client firm characteristics
The impact of a client firm’s internal IT capabilities on sourcing decisions vary between the cloud computing (inconsistent influence) and ITO (consistent negative influence) contexts. Partial support for internal information technology capabilities is observed because there is ‘a plentiful supply of IT personnel with suitable technical expertise’; so, gaps in internal IT capabilities can be effortlessly filled. Organizations started considering to outsource their IT activities because of a deficiency of trained and skilled IT personnel to software outsourcing companies in India, whereas companies believe for internal IT capabilities as a criterion for integrating cloud services into an organization’s IT landscape.A deficiency of internal IT capabilities can be addressed either by acquisitioning competencies (e.g., hiring experts, training existing personnel) or by giving IT tasks to external providers (i.e., outsourcing). Thus, the aspiration to hire IT personnel may be an indication of a lack of IT capabilities.
Environmental characteristics
Uncertainty denotes the degree of complexity, unpredictability and imperfect information that is natural to a transaction. Two types of uncertainty persist: behavioural uncertainty and environmental uncertainty.
Environmental uncertainty requires further consideration as a determinant of cloud-sourcing decisions, and we specifically differentiate between demand uncertainty as a driving factor and product uncertainty as an inhibiting factor.
The contractual mode of cloud services with short-term contracts permits clients to switch between providers for standardized, commodity-type services at a little cost, thus increasing the client’s inclination to switch vendors if the client is not pleased with the outsourcing arrangement. Still, low-cost switching relates only to standardized services (e.g., low technical specificity) with numerous available provider options. Highly specialized services, which are challenging to replace and lack open interfaces, might be tougher to source via CC. So, the nature of asset and the interference of other factors may play a part in the impact of behavioural uncertainty on sourcing decisions.
Determinant factors of cloud-sourcing decisions assist as a basis for practitioner-oriented guidelines and best practices about how to select and offer cloud services. Also, software companies in India may use the set of determinant factors to lead their procurement procedures and to identify challenges that may stand up during the adoption, acquisition, or integration of cloud services.
