Summary and Outlook

Abstract

This chapter summarizes how this dissertation has addressed the research questions and gives an outlook on future cloud research. First, an overview over identified research practices in the emerging field of positivist cloud research is given and the potential of these practices to advance theorizing about emerging IT innovations is explained. Second, it is highlighted how the developed research framework was applied in the cloud service relationship theory development process. Third, the empirical evaluation of the theory is reflected and key insights are presented. Finally, avenues for future research are identified that can build upon the foundation laid by this work.

Why should IS researchers have any concern for individual IS? Perhaps we might begin with the recognition that we are fairly benighted about the phenomena. We might also recognize that these systems represent the most recent frontier for the design of computer based IS. These are complicated and unique systems that cross the boundaries between work and home. […] The list of possible research questions seems endless. Individual IS may well be an extremely large, undiscovered, arena for future IS research.

Richard Baskerville (2011) in the European Journal of Information Systems