Key Challenges of Cloud Computing Resource Allocation in Small and Medium Enterprises

With the advancement of information technology need to perform computing tasks everywhere and all the time there, in cloud computing environments and heterogeneous users have access to different sources with different characteristics that these resources are geographically in different areas. Due to this, the allocation of resources in cloud computing comes to the main issue is considered a major challenge to achieve high performance. Due to the nature of cloud computing is a distributed system to account, comes to business, economic methods such as auctions are used to allocate resources for decentralization. As an important economic bilateral hybrid auction model is the perfect solution for the allocation of resources in cloud computing, on the other hand, providers of cloud resources similarly, their sources of supply combined addressing. One of the problems auction two-way combination with maximum benefit for the parties to the transaction is the efficient allocation of resources to the problem of determining an auction winner is known. Given that the winning auction is NP-Hard. It results in a problem, several methods have been proposed to solve it. In this dissertation, taking into account the strength simulated annealing algorithm, a modified version of it is proposed for solving the winner determination in combinatorial double auction problem in cloud computing. The proposed approach is simulated along with genetic and simulated annealing algorithms and the results show that the proposed approach finds better solutions than the two mentioned algorithms.

The government realizes that the development of micro and small enterprises is still hampered by financing that is more expensive than conventional financing. The potential of micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia is inseparable from banking support in lending to micro, small and medium enterprises. Access to Islamic banking is arguably still limited compared to conventional banking. This makes micro, small and medium enterprises players sometimes choose financing from conventional banks compared to Islamic financial institutions, this can be realized through continuous synergy between Islamic banks and Islamic cooperatives. Islamic cooperatives in various regions are financial inclusion locomotives to deepen sharia-based micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang. Sharia-based micro, small and medium enterprises are micro, small and medium enterprises that only want to be served by Islamic financial institutions. So that the need to empower sharia micro, small and medium enterprises is currently very important, through entrepreneurial orientation and financial inclusion it is expected that it will increase the empowerment of Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises based on Islamic boarding schools in the city of Malang. The research objective is to improve the role of Islamic Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Orientation to empower Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang City. This study uses the path analysis model. And the type of data used are primary and secondary data taken from respondents, namely Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises and Sharia Cooperatives. Based on the results of the study it was explained that Financial Inclusion of Islamic Cooperatives did not influence the empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises. While the entrepreneurial orientation affects the empowerment of Islamic micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang. If financial inclusion is carried out well, which is supported by high entrepreneurial orientation, this will increase the empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises.

Resource scheduling under the condition of cloud computing has always been the focus of current research. This paper analyzes the current situation of cloud computing and introduces shuffled frog leaping algorithm in resource allocation. Aiming at that shuffled frog algorithm is easy to fall into local optimum with fast convergence speed, artificial vector machine is introduced into the subgroups of shuffled frog leaping algorithm, then, self-adaptive crossover probability is introduced into the algorithm’s interior searching. The improved shuffled frog leaping algorithm effectively avoids the algorithm from falling into local optimum and meanwhile shortens the time of global searching and optimum. Classic function proves the performance of algorithm in this paper is improved greatly, and CloudSim platform demonstrates that algorithm in this paper can improve the system’s efficiency into processing tasks and make resource allocation in cloud computing reasonable and effective.

The study examined social media marketing strategies adopted by SMEs for their business survival in Delta State, Nigeria. The research population consists of all 3,976 registered SMEs with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Delta State office (SMEDAN). Three hundred and ninety-eight (398) registered Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State were used as sample which represents ten percent (10%) of the total number of registered SMEs which is in line with keilinger recommendation of sample study. A self structured questionnaire was used for data collection titled "Social Media and SMEs Questionnaire" (SMAPSMEQ). Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics. The simple percentage, frequency count, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data received via research questions. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the three hypotheses. Findings shows that there exists a significant relationship between the impact of cause marketing strategy and customer’s loyalty among Small and Medium Enterprises, as an increase in the cause marketing strategy of SMES also leads to a corresponding increase in their customer’s loyalty and vice versa. A statistically significant relationship exist between the adoption of relationship marketing as social media marketing strategy and customer’s patronage among Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State, which implies that maintaining a good relationship with its customers will have positive influence on the customer’s patronage, encourage mutual relationship, cheaper customer acquisition of Small and Medium Enterprises. Findings also shows that there exist a significant relationship between the adoption of scarcity marketing as social media marketing strategy and the volume of sales among Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State, which means that if a good scarcity marketing strategy is maintained by a Small and Medium Enterprises, their volume of sales would also be positively affected. Based on the findings, it was recommended that small and Medium Scale Enterprises should give adequate attention to improving their cause, relationship and scarcity marketing strategies by setting up unit committees in their organization to see that these objectives are achieved. Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Delta State office (SMEDAN) should continually encourage Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to uphold the use of these business strategies by using them as benchmark for raising the standard of their Enterprises across Delta State.
 Keywords: Social Media Marketing, SMEDAN, SMAPSMEQ, SMES, Strategies and Survival.

Sustainable production and consumption are the need of the hour. Adopting the Circular Economy (CE) approach fosters sustainable business practices. Cloud computing is a new way of storage and application deployment. Cloud computing enables sustainable business processes, which in turn contributes towards the effective implementation of the Circular Approach to Business Practices (CABP). The current study aims to understand the potential of cloud computing to foster circular economy practices in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). We conducted a Systematic review of 186 scholarly articles published in Web of Science (WOS), selected using the PRISMA framework. We conducted scientometric analysis on sources, authors and country level and thematic analysis to pinpoint further research areas. This was followed by a detailed literature review of the articles selected to study the concept and current practices of circular economy and an evaluation of its implementation in emerging economies. The paper proposes an integrated framework grounded in two approaches, that is, the Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) framework and institutional isomorphism as determinants of cloud adoption and CE implementation. The proposed model explores the impact of institutional forces on the various parameters of TOE, thereby culminating in the adoption of Cloud Computing in SMEs. The study would encourage leaders and managers of SMEs to adopt cloud computing for competitive advantage and achieve a circular economy approach together. The adoption of cloud‐based applications has a great potential to foster industrial and economic progress with minimum damage to the ecosystem, furthering sustainability and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this article, the current state of management of human resources in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India is explored. The owner-managers play important roles in managing human resources in SMEs. The direct involvement of the owner manager also leads to ad hoc and informal HR practices. However, formal HRM systems can help increase performance. This study specifically examines the level of formalisation of human resource management in small and medium enterprises in India. Formalisation is defined as the extent to which regular and written-up procedures exists, a stated policy is in place, and a specialist designs and executes the HR systems. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 89 small enterprises and 54 medium enterprises on the level of formalisation of twelve HR functions. It was found that the level of formalisation of HRM systems in SMEs was low and owner-managers played a central role in the HR functions of their enterprises. Compared to small enterprises, the level of formalisation was found to be higher for medium enterprises. The level of formalisation increased with increase in employee strength. An inverse relationship between the extent of involvement of the owner-manager in managing human resources and the existence of a formal policy for HRM was evidenced. Implications of decisions by owner-managers to keep HR functions informal or formal in small and medium enterprises are discussed. It is necessary for SMEs to find ways in which formal and flexible systems can co-exist.

Cloud computing is an emerging information technology (IT) paradigm which undoubtedly has received significant attention from different spheres of influence. The cloud computing concept entails the provisioning of computing resources from remote locations to individuals or organizations over the internet at anytime. The technology is associated with several benefits but the reduction in capital and operational expenditure is the major one. The importance of IT innovations to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the role of SMEs in economic growth have been demonstrated empirically. However, literature indicate that SMEs in developing economies are not taking the advantages of emerging technologies like cloud computing to improve operational excellence within their organizations. An in-depth review of academic publications, technical reports, and industry white papers on cloud computing has confirmed security and privacy is-sues as some of the key inhibitors to cloud computing adoption among SMEs. This is probably because the customer data is released to remote locations, which are invisible, and data is accessed over the internet, which is already over-whelmed with malicious attackers. This study explores the reasons for the lack of cloud computing adoption among SMEs in developing economies. When the rea-sons for this lag are identified, cloud computing service providers, technology policy makers, entrepreneurs and SMEs executives will be provided with the opportunity to develop appropriate solutions and strategies that will specifically meet the needs of SMEs in developing economies. This will promote and accelerate the acceptance rate of cloud services. When SMEs utilize cloud computing as an IT strategy, business growth becomes inevitable and the country's economic growth is witnessed.

The substantial demand for English translation services in cloud computing necessitates resource allocation and management. This study enhances the allocation and administration of English translation resources in cloud computing. This study enhances cloud-based English translation services and influences language translation, natural language processing, and cloud computing. This research aims to provide a pragmatic method for the complex challenge of effectively allocating and managing English translation resources inside cloud computing networks. The algorithm is used to assess allocation and management techniques based on the characteristics of the ongoing activities and the status of the cloud network. The features include the computing capacity of edge servers and devices, the quality of the communication channel, the efficacy of translation resource use, and the latency requirements of the services. The proposed model can autonomously learn about the network environment and make decisions about resource allocation to enhance performance and minimize latency. The ability of cloud computing to project future trajectories from an initial state to ascertain the ideal action by evaluating reward values is a principal benefit of the system. This capability enables the system to choose the optimal course of action. The proposed strategy achieves substantial improvements in key performance indicators, including a 36.4% reduction in average service latency, a 24.7% gain in resource utilization, and a 3.5% improvement in translation accuracy. Additionally, the approach demonstrates excellent scalability, handling increased workloads with minimal impact on performance, and reduces costs associated with translation services, making it a cost-effective solution for cloud-based translation. These findings, supported by the results of our Monte Carlo simulations presented significant implications for the development of efficient and cost-effective cloud-based translation services.

تعد المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة من أهم الركائز للتنمية الاقتصادية فى مصر وهدف استراتيجي تتبناه الدولة المصرية لما لها من دور حيوي فى التنمية الاقتصادية ومعالجة مشكلتي الفقر والبطالة فأصبح التوجه للمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة ومتناهية الصغر أكبر محرك للاقتصاديات لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة، وتعمل مؤسسات الدولة على تبنى استراتيجية متكاملة لتحقيق نهضة حقيقية من خلال هذه المشروعات ودفع الشباب باتجاه إقامة المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة. وتناولنا من خلال هذا البحث أثر الدور الحكومي في تنمية المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في مصر بالتطبيق على محافظة دمياط لما بها من عدد كبير من المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في مجالات عدة فمشكلة البحث تتلخص في أنه كلما غاب أو قل الدور الحكومي الداعم لهذه للمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة كلما أثر ذلك سلبا على تنمية هذه المشروعات. وقد قام البحث على عدة فرضيات تمثلت في الدور الحكومي في كل من التمويل وسن التشريعات والدعم الفني والتسويق في تنمية المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة. كما أظهر البحث اهم التوصيات التي يوصي بها الباحث في هذه الرسالة متمثلة في توصيات تقوم بتنفيذها الجهات المختلفة بالدولة ومنها توصيات على المدى الزمنى القصير وأخرى على المدى الزمنى الطويل محددا بها جهة تنفيذ كل جهة للتوصية سواء تمويلية، أو تشريعية، أو تسويقية، أو دعم فني.

The applications that are being installed and run on the mobile devices need a platform of services offered on-demand and be reliable. These services are promised by cloud computing, where resource allocation plays a major role in providing the services and delivering the quality of service (QoS) to the cloud users. The task of provisioning the resources to the cloud users becomes challenging considering the proliferation in the number of users using the cloud on every day basis. The users in this context of proliferation can be considered as mobile nodes that need faster access to communicate among different devices and services. In this paper, the resource allocation on cloud is considered as a game between the clients or the users of the cloud submitting their tasks onto the cloud. Further, a utility maximisation approach as a game theoretic model for an efficient resource allocation in cloud computing is explored in this paper.

Business activities such as human resources management, payroll, finance, and accounting are crucial for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, adopting technologies such as cloud computing is expected to improve SMEs’ efficiency. The migration from current business practices to cloud computing amongst SME entrepreneurs remains a challenge. Therefore, this study presents a short review of cloud computing concepts, the characteristics, types of cloud computing service models, and also cloud computing deployment models. This study highlights the benefits and challenges faced by SMEs entrepreneurs in adopting cloud computing. Also, this study explores the existing cloud computing services provided for SMEs. The present study aims to provide a better understanding of cloud computing’s potential to be applied in helping SMEs manage their business activities.

The purpose of this paper is to do a comprehensive analysis of Cloud based Big Data challenges and opportunity for SMEs in India. Big Data (BD) are big buzz words, and many large enterprises are making significant advances in their product development, customer relations, and increasing profitability by targeting specific customers. Therefore, it has generated interest for both the academic and industry world as it has the potential to enhance the decision making process by providing valuable insights. The large organisations are benefiting from using BD as a tool to gain a competitive edge over rivals by driving new revenue streams and improving internal operational efficiency. The large organisations are already investing as well leveraging BD. On the contrary, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India are slow adopters of new technologies due to many factors and pose to lose their competitive edge on the world stage. SMEs can also leverage BD to gain a strategic competitive advantage but are resource poor in terms of investment in manpower and financial resources. Major challenges still exist in the adoption of BD especially in information technology architecture. Cloud Computing (CC) can eliminate the need to maintain expensive computing hardware, software, and networking resources. CC can also provide a solution to scalability issues, high speed performance, and fault tolerance for using BD. With CC usage, SMEs can take advantage of BD without significant investment in information technology and manpower. This research uses secondary data as a research data collection technique, which is its limitation. However, a quantitative research methodology using statistical surveys is planned to be conducted in the near future to understand the factors impacting on the adoption of Cloud based Big Data for Indian SMEs. This paper contributes to exploring and enhancing the understanding of the challenges and opportunities for SMEs in India for adopting BD. This study will also have both industrial implications for practitioners in India, as well as those in other developing countries, and academic implications for researchers who are interested in BD adoption in developing countries.
 Keywords: Cloud Computing (CC), Big Data (BD), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Challenges, Opportunities, India.

A conceptual methodology to screen and adopt circular business models in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs): A case study on child safety seats as a product service system

<span>This research measures the relationship between financial inclusion and the sustainability of financing small and medium enterprises in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the methodology of the research is based on the use of data at the level of companies, where there are 267 thousand small and medium enterprises in the Kingdom, 68% of which are managed by expatriates. The number of micro-enterprises reached 1.5 million, in addition to 230 thousand small enterprises and 37 thousand medium enterprises, all representing 99% of the number of enterprises in the Kingdom in mid-2015, and about 996 thousand small enterprises with a localization rate of less than 13.37%. From 2009 to 2019. Through the adoption of statistical analyzes, the effect of financial inclusion on the availability of financing for small and medium enterprises was analyzed and studied. This research showed that there are positive results for the financial inclusion of credit available to listed small and medium companies, and that promoting financial inclusion helps in the survival and sustainability of small and medium companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.</span>

The factors of Cloud computing (CC) adoption among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not been identified in the Jordanian context. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the factors influencing the adoption of CC in SMEs in Jordan. Through an extensive review of the literature, the research model was constructed based on the TOE framework. In order to validate the research model and test the proposed hypotheses, a quantitative research methodology followed in which a survey questionnaire was utilized to collect the data. Out of the 350 distributed questionnaires, 92 questionnaires were valid for the analysis. The PLS-SEM technique was used for the data analysis. The results approved the influence of six variables on the adoption of CC by manufacturing SMEs in Jordan, namely; compatibility, security, top management support, technological readiness, prior IT experience, and competitive pressure. Only the influence of the perceived benefits has not been supported. The study has theoretical implications and practical implications to SMEs in Jordan.