The ROI of a Cloud Deployment

This assignment consists of three (3) sections: a narrative, a ROI Spreadsheet, and a project outline. You must submit all three (3) sections for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the section of the assignment it is written for. Additionally, you may create and / or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

The term paper will consist of a cloud-based solution of your own choosing. Imagine that you are the CIO of a company and you are moving your organization's locally hosted technology environment to cloud-based models.

Section 1: Narrative

Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you:

1. Create a brief (one (1) paragraph) narrative that includes:

- a problem statement.
- a proposed solution to the problem.
- the type of solution (private, public, or hybrid cloud and / or all three (3).)

2. Determine which cloud environment you are seeking to utilize (Iaas, PaaS, and / or SaaS) and explain why.

3. Describe the cloud-based solution you have selected.

4. Evaluate why the cloud-based solution you have selected is the best solution for your problem.

5. Determine the resources that are required for your cloud deployment.

6. Determine the key performance indicators that are being addressed by the cloud-based solution.

7. Create a diagram that depicts a visual relationship that supports the narrative using Visio or an equivalent such as Open Project, Dia, or OpenOffice. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.

8. Use at least five (5) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Section 1 of your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Include charts or diagrams created in Excel, Visio, MS Project, or one of their equivalents such as Open Project, Dia, and OpenOffice. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.

Section 2: ROI Spreadsheet

Create an Excel spreadsheet that depicts Return on Investment (ROI) calculations that support your plan.

Section 3: Project Outline

Create a Gantt chart that outlines the:
proposed start and stop events (in days) of your planned deployment. Note: The project duration may not exceed 120 days.
milestone activities in your planned migration.
milestone events involved in your planned deployment.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Summarize business applications that can migrate to the cloud.

Compare and contrast the technologies that enable cloud computing.

Analyze the migration steps and challenges in migrating to cloud-based environments.

Develop a cloud-based solution to address a proposed business problem.

Use technology and information resources to research issues in cloud computing environments

Write clearly and concisely about cloud & virtual computing topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.