EU’s strategy for cloud computing needs to expand

Grazed from NewEurope. Author: Karafillis Giannoulis.

On 16 January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) announced that EU blueprint for cloud computing falls short. EESC reports that the Commission should widen its strategy and invest in the development of cloud computing software and infrastructure. According to Eric Pigla, EESC rapporteur, EU “should help businesses and public administrations to become ‘cloud active’ by offering cloud-based services and make Europe ‘cloud productive’ by providing cloud infrastructure.”

EESC believes that if EU accomplishes these objectives, then a “European digital energy production” will be established. Pigal underlines that a failure to do so will result in Europe’s growing dependence on foreign cloud computing providers. Pigal’s report stresses that “digital energy, like other energy sources such as oil or gas, is an economic and strategic challenge….[and] Under current market conditions, expanding the use of the cloud in Europe will inevitably strengthen non-European operators.”…

However, EESC welcomed Commission’s suggestions (i) to simplify and unify the plethora of technical standards and create an EU-wide certification schemes for cloud service providers; (ii) to draft model conditions for Cloud Computing contracts in service level agreements (iii) and to develop cloud-based public sectors…

Read more from the source @ http://www.neurope.eu/article/eu-s-strategy-cloud-computing-needs-expand