Literature review is presented as follows. Three challenges in business context and Software as a Service (SaaS) are explained. This paper is focused on the third issue, enterprise portability, and how financial SaaS is achieved with portability. Financial models with Monte Carlo methods and Black Scholes models are also explained.
2.1. Three Challenges in Business Context
There are three Cloud Computing problems experienced in the current business context (Chang, Wills, & De Roure, 2010b, 2010c). Firstly, all cloud business models and frameworks proposed by several leading researchers are either qualitative (Briscoe & Marinos, 2009; Chou, 2009; Weinhardt et al., 2009; Schubert, Jeffery, & Neidecker-Lutz, 2010) or quantitative (Brandic et al., 2009; Buyya et al., 2009; Patterson et al., 2009). Each framework is self-contained, and not related to others’ work. There are few frameworks or models which demonstrate linking both quantitative and qualitative aspects, and when they do, the work is still at an early stage.
Secondly, there is no accurate method for analysing cloud business performance other than the stock market. A drawback with the stock market is that it is subject to accuracy and reliability issues (Chang, Wills, & De Doure, 2010a, 2010c). There are researchers focusing on business model classifications and justifications for which cloud business can be successful (Chou, 2009; Weinhardt et al., 2009). But these business model classifications need more cases to support them and more data modelling to validate them for sustainability. Ideally, a structured framework is required to review cloud business performance and sustainability in systematic ways.
Thirdly, communications between different types of clouds from different vendors are often difficult to implement. Often work-arounds require writing additional layers of APIs, or an interface or portal to allow communications. This brings interesting research questions such as portability, as portability of some applications from desktop to cloud is challenging (Beaty et al., 2009; Patterson et al., 2009). Portability refers to moving enterprise applications and services, and not just files or VM over clouds.