The 2016 BSA Global Cloud Computing Scorecard, a report by the BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), has suggested the United Kingdom is losing ground as far as global cloud computing policies ranking is concerned. The BSA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States, was founded in in 1988 with the purpose of representing major software producers. Financed by its members, its primary objective is eradicating software copyright infringement. According to the organisation, the UK is now ranked ninth of 24 countries considered by the BSA’s report.
The BSA’s ‘Scorecard” looks at seven policy areas and considers the cloud computing readiness of countries around the world. It determines the effectiveness of 24 countries that make up 80% of the global IT market.
The last report was produced in 2013 and by falling two spots it appears the UK’s cloud computing regulatory environment has fallen behind that of the United States, Germany and France. The report goes on to suggest that while its cyber and data protection laws are appropriate, the UK’s data registration laws are causing obstacles to cloud service adoption. The latest drop means the country has fallen three places in the report’s ranking since it first appeared in 2012.
“It’s worrying to see the UK starting to fall behind other faster-moving nations in creating policies which enable cloud innovation,” explained the BSA | The Software Alliance’s President and CEO, Victoria Espinel. “It’s critical for global leading nations like the UK to be on the front-foot in creating robust policy frameworks fit for the digital age to prevent protectionism, so governments, businesses and consumers can benefit from the various benefits cloud computing offers. The report is a wake up call for all governments to work together to ensure the benefits of the cloud around the globe.”
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