Software as a service

About: Software as a service is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8514 publications have been published within this topic receiving 136177 citations. The topic is also known as: Service as a Software Substitute & SaaSS.

Preventing execution of potentially malicious software

Abstract: Potentially malicious software is detected and prevented from installing and/or executing on client devices (122). A software developer sends software to a certifying authority (114) in order to obtain (710) a certification for the software. The certification uniquely identifies the software and allows any tampering to be detected. The software developer distributes (712) the software to the client devices (122). A client device (122) asks an execution authority (118) whether the software is malicious. The execution authority (118) maintains a database (514) specifying the status of certain software. If the status of the software at the client device (122) is in the database, the execution authority (118) reports it to the client device. The execution authority (118) can also analyze (716) the frequency of software execution requests from client devices (122) to determine whether the software is malicious.

Multitask Agency, Modular Architecture, and Task Disaggregation in SaaS

Abstract: We examine contract choices in the provision of "software-as-a-service" (SaaS), which is a business innovation that transforms information technology (IT) resources into a continuously provided service. We draw upon agency theory and modularity theory to propose that one of the central challenges in service disaggregation is that of knowledge interdependencies across client and provider organizations. The resulting lack of verifiability of certain tasks results in a multitask agency problem. Our key research questions involve (1) the suitability of high-versus low-powered incentives in SaaS contracts when the outsourced tasks involve business analytics that are difficult to verify, and (2) how such contract choices are affected by the modularity of interfaces between the client and the provider. Analysis of data collected from 154 providers of SaaS offering a range of IT services supports our contention that when contracting for business analytics characterized by knowledge interdependencies across clients and providers, incentives should be "low powered." Modularity in the interfaces of the service provider increases the desirability of high-powered incentives in such situations. Our results are robust after accounting for endogeneity issues arising from unobserved matching between service providers and the nature of IT services outsourced by clients. With the increasing importance of information systems in services, this paper suggests that arm's-length relationships and high-powered incentives may be ineffective in incentivizing providers to perform on complex business analytic tasks, unless accompanied by the modularization of interfaces.

Cloud Computing Issues

Abstract: Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information, are provided to computers and devices on-demand, like the electricity grid. It aims to construct a perfect system with powerful computing capability through a large number of relatively low-cost computing entity, and using the advanced business models like SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) to distribute the powerful computing capacity to end users’ hands. Cloud Computing represents a new computing model that poses many demanding security issues at all levels, e.g., network, host, application, and data levels. The variety of the delivery models presents different security challenges depending on the model and consumers’ Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authenticity, and Privacy are essential concerns for both Cloud providers and consumers as well. This paper introduces the existing issues in cloud computing such as security, privacy, reliability and so on. This paper surveys the security problems of current cloud computing.

Towards Multi-user Private Keyword Search for Cloud Computing

Abstract: Working in various service models ranging from SaaS, PaaS, to IaaS, cloud computing is viewed by many as anew revolution in IT, and could reshape the paradigm of how IT industry works today. Storage services are a fundamental function offered by cloud computing. A typical use scenario of the cloud storage services is that an enterprise outsources its database to the cloud and authorizes multiple users to access the database. In such cases of database outsourcing, data encryption is a good approach enabling the data owner to retain its control over the outsourced data. {\em Searchable encryption} is a cryptographic primitive allowing for private keyword based search over the encrypted database. The above setting of enterprise outsourcing database to the cloud requires multi-user searchable encryption, whereas virtually all existing schemes consider the single-user setting. To bridge this gap, we are motivated to propose a practical multi-user searchable encryption scheme, which has a number of advantages over the known approaches. The associated model and security requirements are also formulated.

RFID-enabled real-time advanced planning and scheduling shell for production decision making

Abstract: In a radio frequency identification RFID-enabled real-time manufacturing environment, different decision makers are often confronted with the inconsistency between the highly synchronised information flow and unstandardised decision-making procedures, especially under conflicting objectives and dynamic situations. This study proposes an RFID-enabled real-time advanced production planning and scheduling shell RAPShell, in short to coordinate different decision makers across production processes. RAPShell has several key innovations. First, it uses RFID technology for enhancing information sharing, which provides the basis for coordinating decisions and operations of different parties involved in production planning, scheduling, execution and control. Second, it adopts Software as a Service SaaS model and a standard service-oriented architecture SOA with key modules, adaptive optimisation models, solution algorithms as well as scheduling rules developed and deployed as web services. Finally, extensible makeup language XML-based data models are utilised to achieve easy-to-deploy and simple-to-use system customisation and implementation. A case study demonstrates how RAPShell is customised and deployed in a small-and medium-sized company to facilitate the operations of typical production decision makers and operators. Benefits from qualitative and quantitative are discussed from the case study to show RAPShell's practical effectiveness and efficiency on production decision making.