Marketing insights when shifting cybersecurity technologies to the cloud or hybrid cloud in the context of smart cities

Abstract

This research aims to identify marketing insights that can assist marketing departments at cybersecurity vendors in persuading their customers to transition from on-premises deployment to a cloud application when the vendor decides to develop a new product on the cloud and discontinue the on-premises version. With the global trend of customers migrating to the cloud and vendors adapting their technologies accordingly, the need for such marketing insights in developing a strategic marketing plan is evident. Its purpose is to deter customers from abandoning the service and switching to competitors offering on-premises solutions. Previous studies indicate that the global rise in customer migration to the cloud is primarily driven by cost savings and efficiency. However, other studies have shown that while vendors develop and adjust their technologies for the cloud, many organizations are not yet ready for such a shift and prefer to maintain on-premises deployments. There is also an extensive body of literature that describes challenges related to security concerns, small organizations unprepared for migration, regulatory readiness, and issues with training and resource availability. Moreover, numerous cybersecurity research papers, frameworks, and methodologies are associated with cloud adoption. In this research, a qualitative analysis is conducted through in-depth interviews with 13 security professionals, focusing on a case study of active defense cybersecurity. Through the use of content analysis and thematic analysis, we aim to identify the primary themes that will contribute to a more comprehensive future model for researching and explaining consumer behavior during the transition of cybersecurity technologies from on-premises to the cloud or a hybrid cloud environment.