As for all major technology shifts, Cloud computing offers a vast array of opportunities and poses a number of questions, from policy, technology, business and usage perspectives.

The technology shift ('ubiquitous computing') poses the questions of new value chains and respective roles of market players both in the infrastructure segment as well as for the applications/services segments;
The markets currently shaping up pose questions with regards to policy, regulation and standards: how to best enable the emergence of new ecosystems, support innovation while ensuring an adequate level of interoperability and consumer protection?
The borderless nature of the cloud ('where is the data?') poses questions with regards to data security, data privacy, jurisdictions and liability.

Standards are only part of the equation, but an essential one, because they contribute to creating an interoperable environment of transparency, reliability and accountability and ultimately confidence for all the agents in the process of cloud adoption. Yet cloud computing standards also need to take into account policy and regulatory requirements, which add to the challenge for all stakeholders involved in the process.

The EU and the US are both engaged in large scale efforts to devise standards for cloud computing be it at infrastructure, service or application level.

In order to support this dialogue, an EU-US event on standards for cloud computing is co-organized by the EC and ETSI in partnership with NIST, EuroCIO and Eurocloud.

GOALS OF THIS WORKSHOP

Drill down the issues of standards for cloud computing from 3 major angles
* Policy
* Industry and markets (supply and demand side)
* Standards and interoperability
Gather elements to devise a standards roadmap for EU, including priorities, players and processes

EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND DELIVERABLES

Inventory of major policy issues and their impact on standards-making
Inventory of Industry agenda/requirements
Mapping of existing standards landscape
Next steps and priorities for an EU/US cooperation on cloud standards

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Policy makers
CIOs ITC industry and service companies
Standardization strategists
Business development leaders
Public Affairs managers

http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/NewsandEvents/2011_09_STANDARDSINTHECLOUD.aspx