Information Systems in a Cloud Computing era

This thesis is focused on cloud computing and its impact on enterprise resource planning information systems. The historical background of cloud computing is discussed in the first of the thesis. After that, analysis of all possible services and types of cloud computing are provided. In this first part of this thesis, there is also an analysis of cloud computing providers who provide one of the possible cloud computing service - Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS). This thesis evaluates IaaS providers based on suggested methodology. According to this methodology each provider is ranked and the provider with the highest score is used as a provider for outsourcing infrastructure for a new model of information system which is suggested further in the thesis. The next part of this thesis provides a detailed view on cloud computing service closely related to software distribution - Software as a Service(SaaS). This focuses on key features of this approach, there is a discussion about differences between ASP and on-premis approach. At the end of this part there is a detailed discussion about SaaS benefits and risks for customers as well as software vendors. Having discussed all necessary theoretical background a local software company providing mainly on-premise enterprise resource planning information system is described. After all threads and opportunities of this company are analyzed it is suggested to provide a new option of distributing one of its information system to customers - in the form of SaaS. Based on the decision in the previous part, one of the information systems offered to customers is chosen and reengineered in order to allow distribution over the Internet as SaaS. While changing the architecture of the information system, the main focus is to reduce initial costs. A necessary features which need to be changed are analyzed from three perspectives - technological, process and economical. In all of these perspectives there is a discussion about problems which need to be kept in mind. Each problem is analyzed and the solution options are discussed. Towards the end of each problematical part there is a recommendation for the company in order to reach the set goals. The final part is comparing the on-premise system and the SaaS system. The comparison is provided in the customer example. There are calculations for each solution and a discussion about potential attractiveness of a newly designed information system for potential customers