Characteristics of Cloud Computing in the Business Context: A Systematic Literature Review

Cloud Computing services have become more cost effective and technically flexible than traditional solutions. Therefore they are gaining more and more attention among organizations. But there is still disagreement about the exact meaning of Cloud Computing. This paper evaluates the current status concerning the conceptualization of Cloud Computing research by reviewing and classifying existing scientific literature. A comprehensive analysis of the Cloud Computing literature is drawn by identifying and discussing core concepts and characteristics within that literature. The paper concludes with possible further research areas in the field of Cloud Computing from a broad perspective.