The Australian Government has released a series of guides aimed at helping small businesses adopt and use cloud computing services with confidence.
Cloud computing is the term commonly used to describe the delivery of an ICT service over the Internet, on demand.
Cloud computing is already proving to be revolutionary for small businesses, as it significantly lowers cost barriers to ICT adoption. KPMG estimates the increased adoption of cloud services in Australian firms could boost the Australian economy by $3.32 billion a year.
The guides published today will assist Australian small businesses to be part of this revolution. They cover a range of topics from questions to ask your cloud provider, to legal issues to consider in the cloud. The guides are published on the digitalbusiness.gov.au website.
These cloud guides have only been possible because of the development of a longer, more detailed ‘Stock Take’ of regulation that impacts the cloud services market in Australia. The Cloud Computing Regulatory Stock Take provides an overview of regulation affecting the Australian cloud market and how this might impact the take up of services.
The Stock Take aims to give consumers confidence and industry certainty about the regulatory arrangements that apply to cloud computing.
The Government welcomes additional comment by industry, consumer stakeholders or the public at large. In particular, the Government would be interested in views on whether the regulation in this space is overly complex or burdensome.
More information about the Stock Take and how to provide feedback is available at www.communications.gov.au/cloud