Cloud Services for Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

Cloud Services for Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
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Cloud computing indicates the distributed clouding model that allows users to access computing facilities either on-demand or using the pay-as-you-go model. Cloud computing seeks to increase the opportunities available for users where they can access leased infrastructure as well as software applications. Cloud computing remains one of the most promising innovations in technological space today. It is very attractive to organizations because of the benefits it brings such as increased efficiency and saving on costs. The innovation constitutes a shift in the manner businesses are offered with computing resources. The arrangement is shifting the idea of computing as a product to computing as a service. The need for cloud computing tailored for businesses has led to the creation of cloud business intelligence (BI). The arrangement enables applications to be hosted on a virtual network. Businesses can take advantage of BI to access crucial data like JPIs, dashboards, and other business analytics needed for the running of the business. In the wake of globalization, businesses are competing on a global scale, hence necessitating the need to take advantage of recent technological developments. Cloud computing is evolving at a higher rate with several companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon offering the BI-related services.
Types of Cloud-based BI
BI can offer services through three major models; Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In SaaS, third-party hosts applications and avails them to the clients via the Internet. The clients have network-based access to applications that have been created specifically for the distribution (Goyal, 2013). Through subscription, the client accesses the software through a web browser, by logging in using a username and a password. The model means that the individual clients do not need to install the particular software on their computers. Instead, through logging credentials, customers can access the service via the Internet. SaaS has emerged because of the need for businesses to save on the costs of installing and updating software applications. In traditional computing, businesses need to install software and subsequent updates. However, in SaaS, users do not need to install software or updates since they can log in through the Internet and access the particular service in the provider’s network (Iqbal et al., 2016). Examples of the use of SaaS in business include email services, shared company calendars, and customer relationship management (CRM) among others. The pricing largely depends on various parameters like the number of individual users, transactions, and any other approach the provider decides.
IaaS denotes an instant computing infrastructure that is administered via the Internet. The provider offers infrastructure where a business can install, configure, and manage software applications (Goyal, 2013). The model allows businesses to scale up and down depending on their current needs. This means that clients pay for only what they need. Further, IaaS ensures that the client does not incur additional c...