The shift to cloud computing: A slow train comin'?

Cloud computing is a service–based perspective on the provision of computing through the exploitation of technical innovations. The topic has exploded with interest in academic and technical literatures with some seeing it as a catalyst for innovation and economic growth whilst others see it conforming to the fashion hyperbole of many IT innovations. These contradictory forces are shaping the shift to cloud computing and contribute to the empirical evidence which shows uneven levels of adoption of cloud computing. If cloud computing is “a slow train comin’” that involves a fundamental change in the ownership, management, access and use of IT resources within organizations and society, its consequences will be felt throughout our discipline and the organizations we study. This panel therefore evaluates critically our understanding of cloud computing and in so doing, assesses the appropriateness of our existing arsenal of theories and approaches for the study of cloud computing.