Germany is the best out of 24 countries-- including the likes of the US, UK and Japan-- in a Business Software Alliance (BSA) study assessing how prepared the countries are for cloud adoption and cloud.
The BSA Cloud Computing Scorecard examines the legal and regulatory framework, with an emphasis on privacy laws, cybersecurity laws and broadband infrastructure, in order to determine the cloud computing readiness of the country in question. The result is a list of 72 relevant questions.
Germany scored highest on the Scorecard with 84 points out of 100. The BSA says Germany has a comprehensive cybercrime legislation, modern electronic commerce and electronic signature laws, and strong commitment to international standards and interoperability, among other things. That said, Germany still has room for improvement, since its privacy legislations includes registration requirements that "may act as a cost barrier for the use of cloud computing."
Following are Japan (82.1) and the US (82). The UK is the 2nd-ranked European country with 81.8 points (a leap of 5 places to 4th place), ahead of France (79.6), Italy (79), Spain (78.4) and Poland (77). Russia finishes 4th from the bottom with a score of 45, and is the onlly country to reach zero in one of the survey categories. The country does not embrace technology neutrality in government procurement, and its internet filtering and censorship regime are "a barrier to cloud computing."
“Cloud computing allows anyone to access technology previously available only to large organizations, paving the way for increased connectivity and innovation," the BSA says. "Countries that embrace the free flow of data, implement cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, protect intellectual property, and establish IT infrastructure will continue to reap the benefits of cloud computing for businesses and citizens alike.”