AmCham EU heartily endorses the call for a European Cloud Partnership proposed last week by Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, in a speech given in Davos at the World Economic Forum. AmCham EU agrees that by inviting public authorities, industry, consumers and suppliers to work together on Cloud issues we can further advance the technology and better address the challenges and barriers.

The first phase of the European Cloud Partnership will focus on creating a strong common basis for Cloud procurement by public authorities.

The Cloud Partnership announced by Kroes is an important first step in developing coherent policy frameworks for the Cloud. These efforts, however, cannot be limited to Europe. Greater harmonisation or interoperability across existing EU and global legal regimes will further enable businesses to adopt new technologies and implement new business models that can spur economic growth and provide societal benefit. Similarly, participation in international standards organisations and adoption of globally-accepted standards relating to Cloud are important elements in assuring that the full benefits of cloud computing can be realised.

The Cloud has the potential to boost growth and increase jobs at a time when European economies need it the most. Dialogue and involvement with industry is indispensable and AmCham EU looks forward to working with the Commission and the EU Member States on this initiative and stands ready to participate in the European Cloud Partnership.

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