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Privacy and security issues are frequently presented as major inhibitors of cloud adoption. Some of these are operational issues and others relate to regulatory and compliance requirements that vary by industry and location. There is a growing body of guidance that seeks to clarify the implications of these concerns for various parts of the cloud supply chain. This paper provides a review of the business and legal risks associated with cloud computing and critically reviews the guidance available. It pays particular attention to the implications of the PRISM revelations for the development of a cloud marketplace that aims to keep data private and secure. A number of responses to cloud risks are available, including technological fixes and business responses. Each response has its own costs and requirements in terms of organisational capability and the paper evaluates the various responses that potential cloud adopters can use to manage the risks associated with cloud computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Although cloud computing has been heralded as driving the innovation agenda, there is growing evidence that cloud computing is actually a "slow train coming". The purpose of this paper is to seek to understand the factors that drive and inhibit the adoption of cloud computing, particularly in relation to its use for innovative practices. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a composite research base including two detailed surveys and interviews with 56 participants in the cloud supply chain undertaken between 2010 and 2013. The insights from this data are presented in relation to set of antecedents to innovation and a cloud sourcing model of collaborative innovation. Findings – The paper finds that while some features of cloud computing will hasten the adoption of cloud, and its use for innovative purposes by the enterprise, there are also clear challenges that need to be addressed before cloud can be adopted successfully. Interestingly, the analysis highlights that many of these challenges arise from the technological nature of cloud computing itself. Research limitations/implications – The research highlights a series of factors that need to be better understood for the maximum benefit from cloud computing to be achieved. Further research is needed to assess the best responses to these challenges. Practical implications – The research suggests that enterprises need to undertake a number of steps for the full benefits of cloud computing to be achieved. It suggests that collaborative innovation is not necessarily an immediate consequence of adopting cloud computing. Originality/value – The paper draws on an extensive research base to provide empirically informed analysis of the complexities of adopting cloud computing for innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing has become central to current discussions about corporate information technology. To assess the impact that cloud may have on enterprises, it is important to evaluate the claims made in the existing literature and critically review these claims against empirical evidence from the field. To this end, this paper provides a framework within which to locate existing and future research on cloud computing. This framework is structured around a series of technological and service 'desires', that is, characteristics of cloud that are important for cloud users. The existing literature on cloud computing is located within this framework and is supplemented with empirical evidence from interviews with cloud providers and cloud users that were undertaken between 2010 and 2012. The paper identifies a range of research questions that arise from the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]