For small and large companies alike, there is good news: a code of practice for cloud service providers has been laid down and approved by the European Commission. As with anything relatively new, certain standards have to be established to create a business environment that is “fit for purpose” and is a level playing field for everybody.
The Cloud Industry Forum’s Code of Practice has now been put on the EC’s ever increasing list of cloud certification schemes. This means that it has passed the stringent benchmark laid down for reliability and service security.
The list was first set up by the Commission as a means of making sure that cloud contracts would guarantee certain levels of service. The thinking behind this was clearly to help encourage spending on cloud services. The Cloud Industry Forum chief, Alex Hilton, said: “This is a major milestone for the Cloud Industry Forum and the broader cloud community. There are no dedicated cloud standards in the market, making it difficult for small business customers to identify trusted advisors.
“We hope this recognition will encourage more users of cloud services to actively seek providers that are CIF-certified, and likewise more CSPs to seek certification. We have taken important steps in providing a foundation in what is a fast changing and, to many, a new technology sector.”
The cloud revolution is progressing at an incredibly rapid rate, and will continue to do so as trust levels in this new technology are raised by having the Code of Practice in place. The transparency of the cloud industry and standards of accountability are critical factors that will drive cloud service contracts to even higher levels than they are now.
For businesses that are already customers, or are thinking about using this new technology, trust is necessary, and the Code of Practice offers this.