Microsoft wants EU to establish cloud standardization

Thursday, March 24, 2011

In an effort to bolster data security and give businesses a competitive advantage, Microsoft recently proposed the European Union establish a set of rules and regulations to govern cloud computing, the Dow Jones reports.

Currently, rules governing cloud computing in the EU vary from country to country. This can raise myriad issues and complications, particularly when it comes to sharing data across borders.

However, by establishing an all-encompassing set of rules, Microsoft and other cloud services providers can improve their cloud offerings to businesses, governments and other organizations regardless of their location.

Microsoft vice president of EU affairs John Vassallo said he hopes to see a law enacted by the end of 2012. However, he does not expect the process to be an easy one.

"There's going to be quite a big debate about it, at the end of the day it's about coming up with one set of rules," Vassallo told the news provider. "However hard or soft it is, it doesn't matter, so long as we all know what they are."

Behind the United States, Europe represents the second largest cloud computing market. According to a recent Gartner report, Western Europe alone will account for 29 percent of the global cloud services market by 2014.