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Cloud computing
Ruparelia N., The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2016. 280 pp. Type: Book (978-0-262529-09-9)
Date Reviewed: Mar 1 2017

Cloud computing is no longer cutting edge, but has moved into the mainstream and become just one more option available for the delivery of information technology (IT) services. Once service providers start to aim their marketing for a product at the general public, you can be sure that the technology is mainstream; this is now the case with cloud computing.

With this book, Ruparelia aims to deliver a foundational overview of cloud computing for nonspecialists. It is part of the “MIT Press Essential Knowledge” series. Similar to Springer’s “Briefs” in aiming to present a concise overview of a specific topic, these little books are just the right size to fit into your jacket pocket, and can be read on the daily commute to the office.

Chapter 1 begins with an overview of cloud computing, highlighting the efficiencies that make this technology so appealing. Virtualization, service and deployment models, and the basic characteristics of cloud computing are described. Chapter 2 expands on this introduction, delving deeper into abstraction and deployment models, while chapter 3 details the benefits that cloud computing delivers. Chapter 4 gets to the crux of the cost benefits of cloud computing--this is the chapter that will help get your chief financial officer (CFO) behind the cloud. The value propositions for the cloud are covered quite well, several value models are explored, and return on investment is explained, well illustrated with figures and graphics. Chapter 5 looks at security considerations necessary when using the cloud. After a brief introduction to security and governance concepts, issues such as data integrity, data loss prevention, data sovereignty, ownership, and legal jurisdiction are covered.

Chapters 6 through 9 are four case studies of cloud computing deployments. All four chapters follow the same format: the type of usage is described with examples, followed by a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis, and finishing with a summary of the key points of this class of deployment. Infrastructure and platform as a service, software as a service, information as a service, and business process as a service are all covered.

Chapter 10 covers transitioning into a cloud service, covering usage models, interoperability of several cloud services, critical success factors, and cloud governance issues. The descriptions are well illustrated. Chapter 11 is a little “crystal ball gazing” into what the future may hold for cloud computing, and connects neatly with the author’s opinions in chapter 12 on the impact of cloud computing on aspects of our society.

The preface gives a good road map to the book; there is a section devoted to chapter notes, a good glossary and bibliography, and a thorough index. There is also an appendix on backup schemes, which may seem a little off topic until you read of the author’s painful experience in this area in the acknowledgements at the front of the book. A minor annoyance was that the typeface of these final sections is a good deal smaller than the main body of the text, making it difficult to read without good lighting and an up-to-date eyeglass prescription.

All in all, Ruparelia delivers on expectations. This is a good, brief introduction to cloud computing. In particular, chapter 4, which covers the financial justification for moving to the cloud, is particularly well done, and distinguishes this from other introductory books on the topic.

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Reviewer:  David B. Henderson Review #: CR145090 (1705-0236)
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