A new European Commission (EC) report suggests British companies are adopting the cloud faster than companies in the European Union (EU). However, the report goes on to suggest that they are not adopting ebilling and RFID as readily. Approximately 22% British companies use cloud computing to enhance operations in some fashion, while across the EU this figure is only 13%.The report, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), considers companies across the EU and compares them against a set digital metrics that include adoption by business, adoption by government agencies delivering public services, the general level of connectivity within a country, and the skills a country’s citizens have that relate to the internet. It considers companies that utilize a minimum of one cloud solution - whether for communication and collaboration, Customer Relationship Management, or more sophisticated purposes – as adopting the cloud. Based on all criteria Denmark, Finland and Sweden top the report with the UK in seventh place between Belgium and Ireland.
"Countries need to invest if they are to benefit from the DSM and make the most of the many opportunities that it offers," suggested Andrus Ansip the Vice President of the European Commission in a press release announcing the report. "I am not only talking about cash investment. To advance in the digital age also requires political commitment and engagement, especially in areas like digital skills. I believe there is ample scope for countries that are doing less well to catch up."
