Cloudy with a chance of data loss – addressing the future of cloud computing
With the launch of the cloud computing report last week, and the announcement of Global Access Partners’ national standard committee on cloud computing, Lisa Middlebrook reflects on the importance of exploring the future of this expanding service.
Let’s start with a couple of quotes:
"The overall magnitude of this tragedy and the loss is simply incalculable, and we are distressed by the actions of the parties responsible for this reprehensible act." Distribute IT June 2011
"After these horrific attacks it’s evident that our Government needs to be transformed to meet the new challenges of this dangerous world." George Pataki, New York Governor, September 11, 2001
The tone, language and vocabulary of the two remarks above are very similar, and it’s amazing to think that one is in reference to the loss of data in a business, while the other speaks of the incomprehensible tragedy of September 11.
How can we compare loss of information to loss of life? Increasingly the loss of data is having a massive impact of the lives of many, many people. The loss of information means the loss of business, money, health, education or perhaps just simply the bookings associated with a long planned holiday.
Increasingly companies, associations, schools, and governments are living in “the clouds.” The cloud is becoming the far away storage site for billions of bits of data for millions of users.
The data they keep resides in an unknown, virtual reality. It’s there, it’s real, but much like clouds this new way of storing data exists in a distant, floating, diffused, penetrable sky. The cloud becomes a place where stacks of routers and hard drives, which were previously on your premises, now reside with someone else, someplace else. Where is someplace? The cloud, the sky, everywhere.
The reality is the cloud has serious consequences to all those associated directly, but also those who had no idea the details of their lives were intertwined with the data in the cloud. And with the ranks of technology companies creating life in the cloud growing every day, more people are destined to be flying high looking for their bits and bytes. What does this mean for governments, citizens and the companies destined to profit from the cloud?
To address and debate the compelling commercial and strategic reasons for Australia to encourage greater access to Cloud services, GAP has created the National Standing Committee on Cloud Computing. Chaired by Keith Besgrove, First Assistant Secretary (Department of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy), the committee is comprised of State government agencies, industry leaders, the research community and advocacy groups, all represented at a senior executive level.
The Committee will meet three times a year, and endeavour to generate strategies by which Australia may leverage global innovation to drive national productivity and international competitiveness.
Through active dialogue between key stakeholders, the Committee will identify and discuss national and global opportunities for Australia arising from the adoption of Cloud computing, including implications for businesses and consumers. It will direct government and business opportunities in Cloud computing and drive practical outcomes.
We believe this committee will help drive the policies, improve the practicalities and shape the regulatory environment for cloud computing across Australia.
We have important work to consider. As the use of the Cloud continues to grow, its influence on people’s lives will become a key focus for governments and social leaders. Obviously loss of data cannot compare to loss of life but if we don’t get it right one day it will.
Lisa Middlebrook currently serves as the executive manager of the National Standing Committee on Cloud Computing. She is also Executive Manager Strategy & Policy, at Global Access Partners (GAP). Previously Lisa spent two years as Director of the Federal Labor Business Forum, and prior to that, she served as the Director of Business Development at the Lowy Institute. Lisa spent six years with the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and Progressive Policy Institute in Washington DC where she was a Senior Adviser on trade policy and was also responsible for external relations with the corporate community and non-profit foundations. She was instrumental in helping establish political relationships for Australia with regard to the US/Australia Free Trade Agreement. Prior to the DLC, she served at the Australian Embassy in Washington working on US Congressional Relations and trade issues. Lisa is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (political science and international relations) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Johnny Warren Foundation and the organising committee for the Steve Waugh Foundation.
Lisa Middlebrook is Executive Manager Strategy & Policy, at Global Access Partners (GAP). Previously Lisa spent two years as Director of the Federal Labor Business Forum, and prior to that, she served as the Director of Business Development at the Lowy Institute. Lisa spent six years with the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and Progressive Policy Institute in Washington DC where she was a Senior Adviser on trade policy and was also responsible for external relations with the corporate community and non-profit foundations. She was instrumental in helping establish political relationships for Australia with regard to the US/Australia Free Trade Agreement. Prior to the DLC, she served at the Australian Embassy in Washington working on US Congressional Relations and trade issues. Lisa is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles (political science and international relations) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Johnny Warren Foundation and the organising committee for the Steve Waugh Foundation.
