Background: For a business to expand and grow, the IT infrastructure must support changing service demand. Businesses may grow by expanding the existing business, or they may grow through mergers and acquisitions. When companies merge, the newly combined company needs systems to support it.
Virtualization enables multiple simulated computing environments to run on the same hardware within a company. Cloud computing can involve external computing resources. There are various types of virtualization and different options for cloud computing.
Assignment: This assignment aims to demonstrate how virtualization and the “cloud” environment can enhance or inhibit operational flexibility regarding expansion and growth opportunities.
- Research different ways companies use computer virtualization for their internal infrastructure. Describe each virtualization option and how they differ from other alternatives. Cite your sources.
- Research various types of cloud computing. Describe each “cloud” option and how they differ. Cite your sources.
- Explain how virtualization and cloud computing options might affect a company’s ability to expand and grow naturally. Determine if any of the options enhance or inhibit a company’s ability to merge with other businesses and combine business systems. Clarify any risks or constraints associated with a particular option.
- Analyze the options from a cybersecurity perspective. Discuss whether certain virtualization and “cloud” environment choices are better than others from a cybersecurity point of view. Cite your sources.
- Based on the company you chose in Week 1 (YUM! Brands), determine whether some virtualization and cloud computing options would be a better fit than others to enable your business to grow. Describe how the alternatives might enable expansion of the current operation or potentially impact mergers and acquisitions.
This paper must follow the formatting guidelines in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association [APA Manual] (2020), (7th ed.) using Times New Roman 12-point font. Remember to support your statements, including opinions, with factual material (e.g., citations/attribution). This research-driven paper, as a minimum, must contain:
- A title page as described here: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-pageLinks to an external site.
- Four to five pages of text-based content with in-text citations, including at least three sources from the Wilmington University library published in the last five years; additional sources are encouraged.
- One or more reference pages in APA format. (Only sources cited in the paper should appear on the reference page.)
Please note, a title page, reference page(s), appendices, table of contents/figures, tables and figures are not considered content. APA formatting assistance may be found at the Purdue University Online Writing Lab Links to an external site. or you may contact the Student Success Center Links to an external site. for tutoring and writing resources.
Resources:
- Textbook Section 5.2 of Chapter 5 – Building Sustainable MIS Infrastructures
- Article: Success Factors for Integrating IT Systems After a Merger
https://wilmu.instructure.com/courses/74370/files/12182715/download?download_frd=1
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/articles/mergers-and-acquisitions-loves-the-cloud.html
Source 1 – Wilmu
Citation – S. An, A. Leung, J. B. Hong, T. Eom and J. S. Park, “Toward Automated Security Analysis and Enforcement for Cloud Computing Using Graphical Models for Security,” in IEEE Access, vol. 10, pp. 75117-75134, 2022, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3190545.
Source 2 – Wilmu
Cloudlet Computing: Recent Advances, Taxonomy, and Challenges
Citation – M. Babar, M. S. Khan, F. Ali, M. Imran and M. Shoaib, “Cloudlet Computing: Recent Advances, Taxonomy, and Challenges,” in IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 29609-29622, 2021, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3059072.
Source 3 – Wilmu
RADAR: Data Protection in Cloud-Based Computer Systems at Run Time
Citation – Z. Á. Mann, F. Kunz, J. Laufer, J. Bellendorf, A. Metzger and K. Pohl, “RADAR: Data Protection in Cloud-Based Computer Systems at Run Time,” in IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 70816-70842, 2021, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3078059.