EU issues cloud guidelines.

• Position: CLOUD - European Union - Brief article

The European Commission (EC) has released guidelines intended to increase professional users' trust in cloud technology and to standardize service level agreements (SLAs). The guidelines were developed by the Cloud Select Industry Group (C-SIG) as part of the Commission's European Cloud Strategy. Contributors included ATOS, Cloud Security Alliance, ENISA, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and Telecom Italia.

According to the EC, the guidelines are the first step toward standardizing SLA terminology and metrics. They will help business cloud users ensure that the key elements regarding technical and legal aspects of the services provided are included in plain language in their contracts with cloud providers. Examples of the essential...