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Cloud computing is a booming technology that utilizes internet and central remote servers for applications and data maintenance. It enables businesses and consumers to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with proper Internet access. It allows highly efficient computing by centralizing memory, storage, processing and bandwidth. It implies research in virtualization, distributed computing, networking, utility computing, web and software services. This paper focuses on the technological details, characteristics, deployment models, architecture, services and applications of cloud computing. A detailed study of cloud segments namely, applications, storage and connectivity will be done so as to predict the benefits in shifting from on-premises platforms to cloud platforms thus generating snowball effect and cloud pyramid. It also involves empirical research using percentage analysis and factor analysis to study the use, impact and need of cloud computing in organizations so as to enhance their competitive intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite growing interest in, and government support for, ISO14001 certification across Asia in recent years, little is known about issues surrounding the uptake and the effectiveness of environmental management systems in this region. There is a particular void of academic work in relation to ISO certification in India and the country's large number of small and medium enterprises; a field of inquiry this paper seeks to advance. Specifically, as a means of providing a basis for classification of firms for an analysis of the state of ISO14001 in India we test the adequacy of critical factors such as nature of business, size, year of establishment and internationalisation among small and medium enterprises and industry best companies. An analysis is presented of secondary data derived from the websites of a sample of ISO14001 certified firms located in the cities of Delhi and Noida. The data show that in the area of manufacturing the highest number of ISO14001 certifications can be recorded and that established small and medium enterprises with high turnover are more likely to adopt ISO14001 certification compared to low turnover firms. The findings inform the status of environmental management systems in India and have implications for government policy intended to foster ISO14001 uptake by Indian firms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The benefits of Information Technology (IT) implementation are available to the business market customers, consistently maintained with responsive after-sales service. In order to examine the factors affecting service quality provided by small and medium service providers and the proposed determinants of service quality (after-sales service performance, service improvements, technical preparedness and behavioral skills) and the resultant customer satisfaction, a study was conducted among the IT users in business organizations in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). The objectives include identification of customer requirements and service attributes that signify internal processes and customer interactions. Their perceptions of satisfaction from actual experience/performance arise out of confirmation/disconfirmation gap among the service attributes. An exploratory study was done to formulate the service quality construct and its dimensions through factor analysis from these attribute items, where customer satisfaction surrogate 'low total cost of ownership' was used as a criterion variable. In the present study, service improvements and technical preparedness emerge as new dimensions, apart from the applicability of dual aspects of perceived service quality-technical and functional dimensions. At the managerial level, these four dimensions tell us how to plan, implement and improve the various constituent items and service attributes at internal business process and subprocess levels in the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]