Cloud Computing: Should I Stay or Should I Cloud?

Cloud-based computing continues to make waves in the areas of customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning. And yet, relying on an external vendor to supply mission critical software as a service and warehouse vast amounts of sensitive information is still daunting for many businesses to seriously consider. This paper discusses the advantages and drawbacks of cloud-based enterprise applications software as compared to traditional in-house installed and hosted infrastructure. Topics compared include total cost of ownership, implementation, usability, customization and security. The goal of this paper is to explore further the various issues that businesses must consider when moving to the cloud. Is it really worth it? What key issues should management consider before upgrading or implementing cloud-based enterprise applications?