Contents

• Executive Summary 2
• Introduction 3
• History and Company Profile 3
• Company Portfolio and Strategy 3
• IT Infrastructure 4
• Issues and Challenges 4
• Cloud Computing 5
• Definition and Current Trends 5
• Benefits 6
• Costs 6
• Conclusions/Findings 8
• References 9
• Appendix A 11
• Appendix B 12

Description

The IT function of a company has grown in importance over the years. The development of the computer has found many applications in the industry, in fact entire areas of business have developed due to computers. Every organization today needs an IT infrastructure irrespective of the field it operates in. However, for IT based organizations, it is especially important that their IT infrastructure systems be based on the overall strategy of the company since they perform a dual role of offering support to the core functions of the company and provide the primary resources for the core functions of the company. A new development that has the potential to change the entire way the IT function of a company operates is cloud computing. In fact, it promises to replace the entire IT function altogether in favour of internet based data storage and internet based applications. Since the technology is still in its infancy, many organizations are apprehensive of adopting the technology. On the other hand, since it is a combination of various technologies, it offers a number of benefits which when combined have the potential to offer a large corporation such as Accenture with a strategic competitive advantage. Implementation will therefore need to be carried out proactively and cautiously at the same time and in alignment with the overall strategy of the company.