A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts

Berkay Kaplan

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Research Article |

| Peer-Reviewed

A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts

Berkay Kaplan^*

Published in American Journal of Management Science and Engineering (Volume 10, Issue 6)

Received: 20 October 2025 Accepted: 2 December 2025 Published: 27 December 2025

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

While cloud computing has become recognized as one of the most significant changes in how businesses operate today, it has had different impacts on businesses. Cloud adoption has traditionally been studied at either the Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) level or the large corporation level, but not in conjunction with each other. This lack has created a research gap. By synthesizing 2023-2024 Flexera "State of the Cloud" reports, 2024 Cloud Industry Forum research, and existing academic literature, this article fills that research gap and answers the question of what businesses of all sizes are doing in the cloud and why they are taking those actions. This analysis reveals that while businesses of all sizes share similar cloud concerns regarding cost and security, the strategic realities of these businesses can vary significantly. For SMEs, the cloud provides a level playing field, enabling access to technology that is often only available to much larger competitors. However, the cloud can also result in uncertainty regarding pricing and reliance on an organisation's CEO having a thorough understanding of the cloud market. Large Corporations can also face difficulties in using cloud computing, including the migration of vast amounts of existing data to the cloud, the complexity of a multi-cloud strategy, and the need for specialized staff to support the cloud. The findings of this study suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution for every type of business.

Published in	American Journal of Management Science and Engineering (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
Page(s)	157-168
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cloud Computing, Cloud Adoption, SMEs and Enterprises, Cloud Security, Generative AI, Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies

References

[1]	2023. https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards [Accessed 08 December 2024]
[2]	2023. https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/cloud/on-prem-vs-cloud [Accessed 12 December 2024]
[3]	2023. Title 2 ADMINISTRATION. https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/code/05_Title_2.pdf [Accessed 24 November 2024]
[4]	2024. https://info.flexera.com/CM-REPORT-State-of-the-Cloud-2024-Thanks [Accessed 28 July 2025]
[5]	2024. https://cloudindustryforum.org/knowledge_hub/2024cloudreport/ [Accessed 28 July 2025]
[6]	Peshraw Ahmed Abdalla and Asaf Varol. 2019. Advantages to disadvantages of cloud computing for small-sized business. In 2019 7th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS). IEEE, 1-6.
[7]	Office of Advocacy. 2019. Small businesses generate 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. https://advocacy.sba.gov/2019/01/30/small-businesses-generate-44-percent-of-u-s-economic-activity/
[8]	Amazon. [n. d.]. https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/private-cloud/#:~:text=A%20private%20cloud%20is%20a,the%20control%20of%20one%20organization. [Accessed 12 December 2024]
[9]	Anca Apostu, Florina Puican, Geanina Ularu, George Suciu, Gyorgy Todoran, et al. 2013. Study on advantages and disadvantages of Cloud Computing-the advantages of Telemetry Applications in the Cloud. Recent advances in applied computer science and digital services 2103 (2013).
[10]	Mohsen Attaran and Jeremy Woods. 2019. Cloud computing technology: improving small business performance using the Internet. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship 31, 6 (2019), 495-519.
[11]	Jeff Baker. 2011. The technology-organization-environment framework. Information Systems Theory: Explaining and Predicting Our Digital Society, Vol. 1 (2011), 231-245.
[12]	Samit Banerjee. 2021. Benefits for organizations to reskill employees to cloud technology. https://www.amdocs.com/insights/article/benefits-organizations-reskill-employees-cloud-technology
[13]	Prajwal Bhardwaj, Kaustubh Lohani, Ravi Tomar, and Rohit Srivastava. 2022. Comparative analysis of traditional and cloud-based disaster recovery methods. In Intelligent Computing Techniques for Smart Energy Systems: Proceedings of ICTSES 2021. Springer, 105-117.
[14]	Brooks Borcherding. 2020. Why Enterprises Are Accelerating Cloud Adoption. Forbes (Jul 2020). https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/17/why-enterprises-are-accelerating-cloud-adoption/
[15]	Bernardita Calzon. 2023. https://www.datapine.com/blog/cloud-computing-risks-and-challenges/
[16]	Vlatka Davidovic, Denis Ilijevic, Vanja Luk, and Ivan Pogarcic. 2015. Private Cloud Computing and Delegation of Control. Procedia Engineering 100 (12 2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2015.01.358
[17]	Chris DeRamus. 2020. Council Post: The Cloud Is The Backbone Of Remote Work. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/06/16/the-cloud-is-the-backbone-of-remote-work/?sh=11fc06f64dc9
[18]	Dave Durkee. 2010. Why cloud computing will never be free. Commun. ACM 53, 5 (2010), 62-69.
[19]	Brian Eastwood. 2022. Cloud adoption linked to stronger firm performance. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/cloud-adoption-linked-to-stronger-firm-performance
[20]	Indeed Editorial Team. 2022. What is a medium-sized business? (with definition and class). https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/medium-sized-business
[21]	Eurostat. 2016. Glossary: enterprise size. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary%3AEnterprise_size
[22]	Flexera. 2023. Flexera 2023 state of the cloud: Report. https://info.flexera.com/CM-REPORT-State-of-the-Cloud
[23]	Jack Flynn. 2023. 15+ Average Small Business Revenue + Profit Margin Statistics [2023]. https://www.zippia.com/advice/small-business-revenue-profit-margin/
[24]	Jack Flynn. 2023. 25 amazing cloud adoption statistics [2023]: Cloud migration, computing, and more. https://www.zippia.com/advice/cloud-adoption-statistics/.
[25]	Alexandra Galli-Debicella. 2021. How SMEs compete against global giants through sustainable competitive advantages. Journal of Small Business Strategy 31, 5 (2021), 13-21.
[26]	A Ganne. 2022. Emerging Business Trends in Cloud Computing. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology 4, 12 (2022).
[27]	Jayne Giemzo, Mark Gu, James Kaplan, and Lars Vinter. 2020. Accelerating digital transformation through cloud \| McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/how-cios-and-ctos-can-accelerate-digital-transformations-through-cloud-platforms
[28]	Nestor Gilbert. 2021. 64 Significant Cloud Computing Statistics for 2021: Usage, Adoption & Challenges. https://financesonline.com/cloud-computing-statistics/
[29]	Guy. 2024. Navigating The Data Privacy Maze: A Practical Guide For SMEs - Business Fitness. https://businessfitness.biz/data-privacy-maze-regulations-compliance/
[30]	Denise Hazime. 2018. Remote Working at a Large vs. Small Company. https://www.prodoscore.com/blog/remote-working-at-a-large-vs-small-company/
[31]	Beth Braccio Hering. [n. d.]. Pros and cons: Working for large companies vs small businesses. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/pros-cons-working-large-companies-v2/#:~:text=And%2C%20large%20companies%20are%20generally,options%20and%20flexible%20work%20schedules
[32]	Olakunle Jayeola, Shafie Sidek, Azmawani Abd Rahman, Anuar Shah Bali Mahomed, and Jimin Hu. 2022. Cloud computing adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A systematic literature review and directions for future research. International Journal of Business and Society 23, 1 (2022), 226-243.
[33]	Surya Karunagaran, Saji K Mathew, and Franz Lehner. 2019. Differential cloud adoption: A comparative case study of large enterprises and SMEs in Germany. Information Systems Frontiers 21 (2019), 861-875.
[34]	Sandrine Kergroach. 2021. SMEs going digital: policy challenges and recommendations. (2021).
[35]	Shafat Khan. 2019. Cloud computing: issues and risks of embracing the cloud in a business environment. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering 9, 4 (2019), 44.
[36]	Shaharyar Khan, Ilya Kabanov, Yunke Hua, and Stuart Madnick. 2022. A systematic analysis of the capital one data breach: Critical lessons learned. ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security 26, 1 (2022), 1-29.
[37]	Jitender Kumar, Vinki Rani, Garima Rani, and Manju Rani. 2024. Is cloud computing a game-changer for SME financial performance? Unveiling the mediating role of organizational agility through PLS-SEM. Business Process Management Journal (2024).
[38]	Andrew Larkin. 2023. https://cloudacademy.com/blog/disadvantages-of-cloud-computing/ Accessed 28 July 2025
[39]	Chloe Lloyd. 2021. Moving to the cloud: 8 benefits for large businesses. https://capsulecrm.com/blog/companies-move-cloud-benefits-large-businesses/
[40]	C Madhavaiah and Irfan Bashir. 2012. Defining cloud computing in business perspective: A review of research. Metamorphosis 11, 2 (2012), 50-65.
[41]	OECD. 2023. Entrepreneurship - enterprises by business size - OECD data. https://data.oecd.org/entrepreneur/enterprises-by-business-size.htm
[42]	Adam Ozimek. 2020. The future of remote work. Available at SSRN 3638597 (2020).
[43]	Eric Pauley, Ryan Sheatsley, Blaine Hoak, Quinn Burke, Yohan Beugin, and Patrick McDaniel. 2022. Measuring and mitigating the risk of ip reuse on public clouds. In 2022 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (SP). IEEE, 558-575.
[44]	Thomas Ristenpart, Eran Tromer, Hovav Shacham, and Stefan Savage. 2009. Hey, you, get off of my cloud: exploring information leakage in third-party compute clouds. In Proceedings of the 16th ACM conference on Computer and communications security. 199-212.
[45]	Kevin Rossi Acosta. 2021. Effects of Cloud Computing in the Workforce. (2021).
[46]	Fariba Safari, Narges Safari, Alireza Hasanzadeh, and Ali Rajabzadeh Ghatari. 2015. Factors affecting the adoption of cloud computing in small and medium enterprises. International Journal of Business Information Systems 20, 1 (2015), 116-137.
[47]	Arman Shehabi, Sarah Smith, Dale Sartor, Richard Brown, Magnus Herrlin, Jonathan Koomey, Eric Masanet, Nathaniel Horner, Inês Azevedo, and William Lintner. 2016. United states data center energy usage report. (2016).
[48]	Vishvesh Soni. 2023. Impact of Generative AI on Small and Medium Enterprises’ Revenue Growth: The Moderating Role of Human, Technological, and Market Factors. Reviews of Contemporary Business Analytics 6, 1 (2023), 133-153.
[49]	Ali Sunyaev and Ali Sunyaev. 2020. Cloud computing. Internet Computing: Principles of Distributed Systems and Emerging Internet-Based Technologies (2020), 195-236.
[50]	Blesson Varghese and Rajkumar Buyya. 2018. Next generation cloud computing: New trends and research directions. Future Generation Computer Systems 79 (2018), 849-861.
[51]	Zight. 2020. The use of the cloud in today’s workplace. https://zight.com/blog/workplace-cloud-use/
[52]	Jing Zou and Cheng Jian. 2022. Does cloud computing improve team performance and employees’ creativity? Kybernetes 51, 2 (2022), 582-601.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kaplan, B. (2025). A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. American Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 10(6), 157-168. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Kaplan, B. A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. Am. J. Manag. Sci. Eng. 2025, 10(6), 157-168. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Kaplan B. A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. Am J Manag Sci Eng. 2025;10(6):157-168. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15,
  author = {Berkay Kaplan},
  title = {A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts},
  journal = {American Journal of Management Science and Engineering},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {157-168},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  abstract = {While cloud computing has become recognized as one of the most significant changes in how businesses operate today, it has had different impacts on businesses. Cloud adoption has traditionally been studied at either the Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) level or the large corporation level, but not in conjunction with each other. This lack has created a research gap. By synthesizing 2023-2024 Flexera "State of the Cloud" reports, 2024 Cloud Industry Forum research, and existing academic literature, this article fills that research gap and answers the question of what businesses of all sizes are doing in the cloud and why they are taking those actions. This analysis reveals that while businesses of all sizes share similar cloud concerns regarding cost and security, the strategic realities of these businesses can vary significantly. For SMEs, the cloud provides a level playing field, enabling access to technology that is often only available to much larger competitors. However, the cloud can also result in uncertainty regarding pricing and reliance on an organisation's CEO having a thorough understanding of the cloud market. Large Corporations can also face difficulties in using cloud computing, including the migration of vast amounts of existing data to the cloud, the complexity of a multi-cloud strategy, and the need for specialized staff to support the cloud. The findings of this study suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution for every type of business.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts
AU  - Berkay Kaplan
Y1  - 2025/12/27
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
T2  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
JF  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
JO  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
SP  - 157
EP  - 168
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1379
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
AB  - While cloud computing has become recognized as one of the most significant changes in how businesses operate today, it has had different impacts on businesses. Cloud adoption has traditionally been studied at either the Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) level or the large corporation level, but not in conjunction with each other. This lack has created a research gap. By synthesizing 2023-2024 Flexera "State of the Cloud" reports, 2024 Cloud Industry Forum research, and existing academic literature, this article fills that research gap and answers the question of what businesses of all sizes are doing in the cloud and why they are taking those actions. This analysis reveals that while businesses of all sizes share similar cloud concerns regarding cost and security, the strategic realities of these businesses can vary significantly. For SMEs, the cloud provides a level playing field, enabling access to technology that is often only available to much larger competitors. However, the cloud can also result in uncertainty regarding pricing and reliance on an organisation's CEO having a thorough understanding of the cloud market. Large Corporations can also face difficulties in using cloud computing, including the migration of vast amounts of existing data to the cloud, the complexity of a multi-cloud strategy, and the need for specialized staff to support the cloud. The findings of this study suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution for every type of business.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Berkay Kaplan

Rutgers Business School, Newark and New Brunswick Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4365-7606

Download PDF

Submit an Article

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Kaplan, B. (2025). A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. American Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 10(6), 157-168. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Kaplan, B. A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. Am. J. Manag. Sci. Eng. 2025, 10(6), 157-168. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Kaplan B. A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts. Am J Manag Sci Eng. 2025;10(6):157-168. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15,
  author = {Berkay Kaplan},
  title = {A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts},
  journal = {American Journal of Management Science and Engineering},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {157-168},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajmse.20251006.15},
  abstract = {While cloud computing has become recognized as one of the most significant changes in how businesses operate today, it has had different impacts on businesses. Cloud adoption has traditionally been studied at either the Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) level or the large corporation level, but not in conjunction with each other. This lack has created a research gap. By synthesizing 2023-2024 Flexera "State of the Cloud" reports, 2024 Cloud Industry Forum research, and existing academic literature, this article fills that research gap and answers the question of what businesses of all sizes are doing in the cloud and why they are taking those actions. This analysis reveals that while businesses of all sizes share similar cloud concerns regarding cost and security, the strategic realities of these businesses can vary significantly. For SMEs, the cloud provides a level playing field, enabling access to technology that is often only available to much larger competitors. However, the cloud can also result in uncertainty regarding pricing and reliance on an organisation's CEO having a thorough understanding of the cloud market. Large Corporations can also face difficulties in using cloud computing, including the migration of vast amounts of existing data to the cloud, the complexity of a multi-cloud strategy, and the need for specialized staff to support the cloud. The findings of this study suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution for every type of business.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Survey on Cloud’s Comparative Impacts on Large Enterprises and SMEs in the US - Opportunities, Challenges, and Impacts
AU  - Berkay Kaplan
Y1  - 2025/12/27
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
T2  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
JF  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
JO  - American Journal of Management Science and Engineering
SP  - 157
EP  - 168
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1379
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmse.20251006.15
AB  - While cloud computing has become recognized as one of the most significant changes in how businesses operate today, it has had different impacts on businesses. Cloud adoption has traditionally been studied at either the Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) level or the large corporation level, but not in conjunction with each other. This lack has created a research gap. By synthesizing 2023-2024 Flexera "State of the Cloud" reports, 2024 Cloud Industry Forum research, and existing academic literature, this article fills that research gap and answers the question of what businesses of all sizes are doing in the cloud and why they are taking those actions. This analysis reveals that while businesses of all sizes share similar cloud concerns regarding cost and security, the strategic realities of these businesses can vary significantly. For SMEs, the cloud provides a level playing field, enabling access to technology that is often only available to much larger competitors. However, the cloud can also result in uncertainty regarding pricing and reliance on an organisation's CEO having a thorough understanding of the cloud market. Large Corporations can also face difficulties in using cloud computing, including the migration of vast amounts of existing data to the cloud, the complexity of a multi-cloud strategy, and the need for specialized staff to support the cloud. The findings of this study suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution for every type of business.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download