The article "SH-BlockCC: A secure and efficient Internet of things smart home architecture based on cloud computing and blockchain technology" by Sing et al. (2019) addresses how cloud computing and blockchain technology can be integrated into smart home appliances so that they can meet the data and security needs of home users effectively. Recent advancements in technology, low powered sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has increased the accessibility and the number of intelligent applications being deployed in homes ( Singh, Ra, Meng, Kaur & Cho, 2019) . Along with new technologies, cloud computing and IoT promises to achieve enhanced security, domestic comfort, and environmental awareness at reduced costs. The research problem being addressed by the article is the development of an IoT smart home architecture built on cloud computing and blockchain technology (Singh, Ra, Meng, Kaur & Cho, 2019) . The increase in the number of IoT devices raises privacy and security concerns. Therefore, with this architecture, blockchain technology will be applied to smart home networks for handling the transactions of users. This model also employs the use of green cloud computing technologies to reduce the environmental effects of the proposed architecture.
According to Welsh & Benkhelifa, (2020) , the smart homes market was estimated to reach $40 billion by 2020, and by 2023, it is expected that it would penetrate at least 54 percent of households. Over a decade ago, the concept of controlling one's home through a mobile device was a distant dream (Welsh & Benkhelifa, 2020) . But today, there is proof of the existence of smart homes that can be controlled with a tap on a smartphone or the sound of people's voices – people can control lights, the opening and closing of windows, and even the changing of temperature in homes. Therefore, it can be concluded that we do not hold control over what smart home technologies will be able to achieve in the future, but rather the challenges that technology is currently experiencing, such as reliability, privacy, and scaling. With the amount of information stored on smart home devices and their increased use, I do agree with Sing et al. (2019) that for intelligent home appliances and the IoT to be able to expand their functionality, they must be able to anticipate and respond to home activities allowing individuals to control any aspect of their homes remotely through an internet connection while ensuring the privacy, confidentiality, and security of the transmitted data.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
IoT is an emerging technology that is present in most processes and devices, facilitating access to services and information and allowing the improvement of human life. Smart home devices employ the use of internet-connected devices such as fridges and light switches that can autonomously open doors or alert an individual when they are running low on milk (Welsh & Benkhelifa, 2020) . But all this connectivity and convenience comes at a price. High-tech appliances and state-of-the-art home devices are prone to a multitude of security and privacy vulnerabilities that put data at risk. The concept that smart home devices working together is a paradigm shift in shifting. As users can eliminate recursive activities with the help of automation and the ability to enhance the security of homes, this comes as a compromise to privacy as the data is left in the hands of third parties (Welsh & Benkhelifa, 2020) . Although the data used by smart home appliances are used to improve customer experience, there are uncertainties on who the data is being shared with by tech giants such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Cloud computing offers me the ability to access emails over the internet. With cloud email, I have experienced reduced costs and increased operational efficiency in my work (Welsh & Benkhelifa, 2020) . With cloud email solutions, I have remote access to all of my emails, and I can access them from anywhere with an internet connection, thus being more productive. Office 365 is a Software as a Service platform designed by Microsoft to allow the access of Office applications on any device (Skendzic & Kovacic, 2015). The web version of Office applications provides me with the opportunity to be productive on the go and to collaborate with other users as it allows the sharing and editing of documents in real-time. Through Office 365, I have access to documents on any device. I can open a report from my desktop computer and share it with colleagues (Welsh & Benkhelifa, 2020) . While on the go, I can get an update notice from my tablet to review the report and make minor changes in addition to providing other reviews. These functionalities are powered by computer networks and cloud computing solutions making these services accessible through the internet (Skendzic & Kovacic, 2015). There are multitudes of protocols, standards, and communication languages that have been combined in different configurations to offer the availability of these services in real-time.
Cloud computing is changing how I work with Microsoft Office products as it allows cloud-based shared storage with OneDrive and SharePoint Online. This eliminates the need for multiple versions of the same file as I can access securely stored files in the cloud and share them with my colleagues anytime and anywhere quickly (Skendzic & Kovacic, 2015). Office 365 products do not require physical installation or trained technicians. In addition, there are no monthly maintenance fees or updates from the user, which eliminates the downtimes associated with such activities (Skendzic & Kovacic, 2015). Through Microsoft Teams, I can communicate with instructors and colleagues through chats and online meetings both inside and outside the organization. Microsoft Teams provides access to team files inside the Teams application allowing people to collaborate with related content and conversations.
References
Singh, S., Ra, I., Meng, W., Kaur, M., & Cho, G. (2019). SH-BlockCC: A secure and efficient Internet of things smart home architecture based on cloud computing and blockchain technology. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks , 15 (4), 155014771984415. doi: 10.1177/1550147719844159
Skendzic, A., & Kovacic, B. (2015) . Microsoft Office 365 - cloud in business environment .
Welsh, T., & Benkhelifa, E. (2020). On Resilience in Cloud Computing. ACM Computing Surveys , 53 (3), 1-36. doi: 10.1145/3388922
