Risk Factors in Cloud Computing Relationships: A Study in Public Organizations in Sweden

Several predictions show an increase in Cloud Computing (CC) in the coming years. The risks in CC relationships can jeopardize the CC services; therefore, this research has looked to find the risk factors in CC relationships in public organizations in Sweden. A survey research strategy has been applied and the data was collected through interviews with IT decision-makers with relevant experience in CC relationships. The study has identified security as a critical risk factor. The CC clients do not trust their providers and therefore, they do not place sensitive data in the cloud. Additionally, we have found other risks in CC that are not critical, like, asset specificity, a small number of suppliers, uncertainty, relatedness, measurement problems, competences. The reason for this result is the low complexity of services in the studied public organizations. The findings of this study are several risk factors that public organizations should be aware of for improving their relationship in CC arrangements. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.