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EU invests EUR10 mn to build Cloud Partnership

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CIOL Bureau
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BANGALORE, INDIA: The European Commission announced that it would invest EUR10 million for the formation of a European Cloud Partnership, to come up with a common set of standards between suppliers and buyers.

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Neelie Kroes, the Commission VP, said: "I expect good progress in setting it up in 2012 and first results in 2013."

He was addressing the gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday.

Also Read: Cloud computing; what is it? Ask US consumers

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The Partnership's initial work will create a strong common basis for cloud procurement by public authorities. In the beginning, cloud procurement might still be conducted separately. However, even in that form, the benefits of a common approach will begin to accrue — to cloud buyers and suppliers.

"And by the way, there is no reason why procurement by private businesses and organisations would not adapt in this direction as well. Later on, public bodies, whether local, regional or at Member State level, may find it useful to develop the Partnership further so that it can play a role in a move towards increased pooling of resources and ultimately joint procurement."

In the first phase, the Partnership will come up with common requirements for Cloud procurement. For this it will look at standards; it will look at security; it will look at ensuring competition, not lock-in. The Commission has proposed new rules for data protection in the twenty-first century, including for data in the Cloud.

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In the second phase the Partnership will deliver proof of concept solutions for the common requirements.

In the third phase reference implementations will be built.

The Commission is already talking to potential partners and working on setting up this European Cloud Partnership.

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