In This Project, You Will Make A Narrated Presentation To Co

In This Project You Will Make Narrated Presentation To Convince The B

In this project, you will make a narrated presentation to convince the management of BallotOnline of the value of migrating the organization's existing IT infrastructure and services to a public cloud. You will learn about cloud computing technology and services and how organizations can take advantage of this trend. Your supervisor, Sophia, BallotOnline's director of information technology, has tasked you with creating a presentation that will persuade the executives that using cloud-based computing to accommodate BallotOnline's future growth, rather than expanding the current infrastructure, will enable the company to operate faster, at lower costs, and conserve IT resources.

The presentation should provide a compelling business case, including the benefits and potential drawbacks of adopting cloud infrastructure, data on cloud economics, and a demonstration of basic cloud capabilities. It must include an executive summary, followed by detailed coverage of the following areas: an overview of cloud computing, summary of service and deployment models, cloud compute and storage infrastructure components, advantages and disadvantages, economic analysis, IT business requirements, and a SWOT analysis.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and increasing competition, organizations are continually seeking innovative ways to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs. Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative technology that allows businesses to leverage scalable, flexible, and cost-effective IT resources. This paper presents a comprehensive business case for BallotOnline to migrate its existing IT infrastructure to a public cloud, emphasizing benefits, potential challenges, economic considerations, and strategic alignment with organizational goals.

Overview of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing involves delivering computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. It enables organizations to access resources on-demand without the need for substantial initial investments in hardware and infrastructure. Cloud services are typically provided via three primary service models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Deployment models include public, private, hybrid, and community clouds. For BallotOnline, adopting a public cloud would mean utilizing third-party cloud providers' infrastructure to host organization services and data.

Summary of Service and Deployment Models

Service models define the level of control and management. IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing organizations to manage operating systems, applications, and data while the provider manages hardware. PaaS offers a platform allowing developers to build applications without concern for underlying infrastructure. SaaS delivers software applications over the internet, accessible through browsers. Deployment models influence security, compliance, and control; the public cloud is most suitable for scalable, cost-efficient services, offering ease of deployment and management, while private or hybrid clouds may be preferred for sensitive data or special compliance needs.

Cloud Compute and Storage Infrastructure Components

The core components include virtualized servers (compute instances), storage solutions (block, file, and object storage), networking components (virtual networks, load balancers), and management tools for orchestration and automation. Cloud providers offer scalable compute resources such as virtual machines and containers, alongside storage options tailored for different needs—ranging from high-performance disk options to long-term archival storage. These components work together to offer a flexible, resilient, and scalable environment for organizational workloads.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Key advantages of cloud adoption include cost savings from reduced capital expenditures, scalability to meet fluctuating demand, increased agility and innovation capacity, enhanced disaster recovery, and improved collaboration. However, potential drawbacks involve security and privacy concerns, dependency on network connectivity, potential vendor lock-in, compliance challenges, and ongoing operational costs. For BallotOnline, careful evaluation of these factors is critical to maximizing benefits while mitigating risks.

Economic Analysis

The economic benefits of migrating to a cloud environment are substantial. Cloud computing shifts capital expenses to operational expenses, reducing upfront investments. Pay-as-you-go pricing models ensure cost alignment with actual usage, enabling flexible budgeting. Studies indicate significant cost reductions through cloud adoption, especially in infrastructure provisioning and maintenance (Marston et al., 2011). However, organizations must carefully analyze expected workload demands, licensing costs, and potential vendor lock-in to project total cost of ownership accurately.

IT Business Requirements

BallotOnline's IT requirements include scalable infrastructure to support growth, disaster recovery capabilities, flexible access for remote and mobile employees, robust security measures, and compliance with industry regulations. The cloud migration plan must ensure minimal disruption, ease of management, integrated monitoring, and alignment with organizational strategic objectives. Critical success factors involve vendor support, staff training, and clear governance policies.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: Cost efficiency, scalability, flexible resource management, rapid deployment.

Weaknesses: Security concerns, potential complexity, vendor lock-in risks.

Opportunities: Enhanced innovation, improved disaster recovery, access to emerging cloud technologies.

Threats: Data breaches, compliance issues, service outages, evolving vendor policies.

Conclusion

Moving to a cloud-based infrastructure offers substantial advantages for BallotOnline, aligning with strategic growth goals while optimizing costs and resources. However, a thorough assessment of risks, security, compliance, and long-term cost implications is essential. By carefully planning and executing the migration, the organization can position itself for future success in a digital-first environment.

References

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