The need to invest in IT infrastructures and purchasing expensive hardware and software
solutions could be prohibitive to the of efficient business practices. Cloud computing is a
service provided by IT experts that acts as an alternative to the ongoing high-cost of
investment into IT resources and management which minimises technology- and in particular
user-related barriers. Tapping into already existing data centres, processing applications and
specific on-demand solutions (software as in infrastructure, software as a platform and
software as a service) will integrate the latest network and database technologies to provide
information services to make them flexible and accessible. The companies using cloud
computing will only need to pay for specific computing resources on an as-needed basis,
accessing them on-demand via a web-based interface using smart phones, computers and
other devices. Software as a service (SaaS) is becoming a popular way of accessing specific
software on-demand through an Internet browser via a fixed or per usage subscription fee
(O'Sullivan 2007).