13. Is it possible for a cloud computing application to lead to a strategic advantage?
The easy answer is no, but it is not clear that answer is correct. Cloud computing certainly makes it easier for companies to enter an industry and it makes it easier for other firms to use similar technology. So the reduction to barriers to entry will make almost any strategy more difficult to succeed. In the end, creativity is enhanced and amplified with low-cost global information technology. If a firm has the people and culture to experiment and develop new ideas, the technology makes it possible to implement and test them—keeping the firm ahead of the competition.