EU Urged to Increase Co-operation With US On Cloud

US ambassador to the EU calls for solidarity.

The EU and the US must work together to offer a credible response to the emergence of cloud computing, the US ambassador to the EU told a conference this week.

William Kennard, a former head of the Federal Communications Commission, said that there was a “new sense of urgency” to debates about privacy, intellectual property rights (IPR) and data protection, because of the increasingly rapid move towards holding data in large third-party servers around the world.

Cloud computing allows individuals or businesses to store all their data and software ‘in the cloud’ in this way, instead of having to build their own IT infrastructure.

Global differences

Kennard, the keynote speaker at a seminar on the subject organised by the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union on Tuesday (12 April), said: “The differences between the US and Europe pale compared with the differences that we have collectively with the rest of the world, and that is the value in having an intense dialogue on these issues. The rest of the world is watching.”

The conference heard that the public and some policymakers still had concerns about security of data, but many industry representatives were positive about the effects that cloud computing could have on innovation and economic growth.

Ivailo Kalfin, a Bulgarian Socialist MEP, said that there was uncertainty over who was in charge of the European Commission’s approach to cloud computing, with both Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for fundamental rights, justice and citizenship, and Neelie Kroes, the commissioner for the digital agenda, speaking on the topic recently.

Three working groups on cloud computing, looking at new business models, interoperability and investment opportunities, are set to report to the Commission by the beginning of July.

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Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

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