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Cloud Computing and Digital Innovation

Cloud computing and digital innovation have been regarded as the fastest emerging drivers of digital business transformation to thrive in the digital economy. On the one hand, the dramatic rise of cloud computing suggests that this sector will reach $383 billion by 2020 with an annual growth rate of 22.8%. For example, only Microsoft has reported a 36% growth in their net income in the last quarter of 2019 to $11.6 billion through a robust growth of its cloud business model (i.e., Azure). It has successfully leveraged cloud-based innovations to host machine learning and artificial intelligence to give an edge to its business customers through customer relationship management and supply chain management software. On the other hand, Amazon, Alibaba, Tencent, Google, Apple, and Facebook are enjoying stronger competitive advantages through their cutting edge innovations. Fuelled by the advancement in cloud technology, strong data management and analytics capabilities, robust data governance, these firms are presenting a new wave of disruptive innovations and business models. In this context, academia can be greatly benefited by extending IS theories (e.g., IS success theory, IT capability theory or expectation-confirmation theory) or, classic management theories (e.g., organizational ambidexterity, resource-based view theory, knowledge-based view theory, and dynamic capability theory). Hence, in this track, there is a greater potential to articulate the challenges and opportunities of cloud computing and digital innovations. A holistic picture of these two perspectives will help organisations prepare for the upcoming digital business transformation.