Cloud Computing Adoption: Brand Equity Impact on Users’ Choice

Abstract

Cloud computing is becoming a strategic choice for organizations and individuals offering great facilitations for startup organizations with cost reduction and flexible and handy scalability. But with the many advantages associated with the adoption of cloud computing, the environment suffers from many risks like: security, privacy, trust issues, and lack of standards. Still some large venders are emerging with many concerns in relation to data residing on others’ servers. This paper will explore the cloud computing environment, its risks, and the factors influencing its adoption. Finally, a proposed framework is depicted and empirically tested to estimate the associations between intentions to use cloud computing and the following factors: security, privacy, prior online experience, vender’s brand reputation, trust in the brand name, and brand equity. Results indicated a significant prediction of trust in the brand by experience and brand reputation. Also, trust significantly predicted brand equity, and brand equity significantly predicted intention to use the cloud service. Results and conclusions are discussed at the end of paper.