Common Patterns of Cloud Business Models

Cloud computing has been established as a significant topic in the information technology (IT) industry, especially since cloud services are expanding in the portfolios of IT service providers. New businesses emerged to provide cloud services and established businesses extend their traditional business with aspects of cloud computing. The contribution of this paper is how the cloud focus influences the IT service provider’s business model. Based on an extensive literature analysis and synthesis, the characteristics of a cloud business model are transferred into a structured research framework with 103 design features. Subsequently, cloud business models of 29 selected IT service providers are analyzed and matched with the framework. With the help of a cluster analysis, four common patterns of combination are identified for cloud business models. Finally, these patterns will be evaluated with respect to critical success factors and to issue recommendations for action.

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