The adoption of cloud computing by SMEs: identifying and coping with external factors.

Comunicação apresentada na CAPSI 2011 - 11ª Conferência da Associação Portuguesa de Sistemas de Informação – A Gestão de Informação na era da Cloud Computing, Lisboa, ISEG/IUL-ISCTE/, 19 a 21 de Outubro de 2011.

The recent development of Cloud Computing (CC) provides a convincing opportunity for organizations to outsource their Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Although its popularity is increasing rapidly, there are concerns that must be taken into account. This paper ascertains the most relevant issues associated with the political, economic, social and technological factors concerning CC adoption. The research described is based on a scoping review to identify relevant studies published in the literature recently. The aim is to provide an overview of the most recent findings in the Cloud Computing environment, which can inform strategic decision-making by Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in this area.