TheFederation
Against Software Theft and Investors in Software(FAST
IiS) plans to bring IT industry leaders together to draw up a code
of conduct for cloud computing in the UK.
Cloud computing is on the verge of
becoming mainstream, but a lack of clarity around the financial
and operational aspects is still a major hurdle, said John
Lovelock, chief executive at FAST IiS.
Potential users of cloud computing services need assurances
around
security, confidentiality and service level agreements, he
said.
"Simply put, users need a straightforward form of certification
or code of conduct for potential suppliers," said Lovelock.
The group is confident there is a desire on the part of service
providers and businesses for a standard to help benchmark and
validate cloud-based services, said Lovelock.
"We see the launch of such a code of conduct driving up
standards so that both industry and customers benefit," he
said.
The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), a sub-group of FAST IiS, will
co-ordinate the work. It aims to have the code of conduct drawn up
by mid 2010 based on the input of members and consultants.
The group, which hopes to get input from leaders across the IT
industry, includes representatives of FAST IiS,
Intellect, domain name
organisations, web hosts and internet lawyers.