The Irish Government’s Department of Finance has thrown a skew ball into the cloud computing game by issuing an email to other departments warning them of the perils of cloud computing. The e-mail, which carries the subject “cloud computing warning”, says that the Chief State Solicitor’s Office has “advised that issues such as data protection, confidentiality and security and liability are not necessarily dealt with in a manner that would be necessary for public sector responsibilities”.
To those in the know this advice is at odds with a statement made last year by Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan who identified cloud computing as one of six key technologies which would underpin the country’s smart economy strategy.
There has also been substantial investment into the infrastructure of a cloud computing base. IBM and Hewlett Packard have established cloud computing competency centres in Ireland which created 190 jobs and involve a combined investment of €36 million. Microsoft, which is identified in the e-mail as a cloud computing supplier, invested €366 million in building a data centre in Dublin which opened last year and will provide these services.
Apart from a “left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing” scenario, this is the latest in a series of Government interventions in technology. Recently the governments of France and Germany offered “advice” to their countries web users by telling them not to use Internet Explorer 6 as their web browser. This came from the identification of weaknesses in IE6 that allegedly helped a foreign state, China, hack into Google’s system.
Given that Government officials may not be the most tech-savvy individuals on the planet, is it wise to have them getting involved in matters of this nature. Let me have your views.
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Worrying when government types go anywhere near the internet in my opinion.
Probably not as secure as it needs to be, but isn't that what networks are for?
I am with you 100% there.
Maybe tthe polticos are worried in case someone hacks it and finds out all their grubby little secrets!
Governments are traditionally the last to the table on everything. Because they have the lives of millions/billions of people riding on their decisions, tried and true mechanisms win before innovation. Additionally, relatively few people embrace/understand the extent to which technology can improve their daily lives. I have no doubt that cloud computing will evolve so that it is used widely, but I think it and the government will undergo some transformations before it gets there.
Many countries are facing huge financial problems – the UK is a prime example – yet investment in technologies that will save money doesn't seem to be considered. Think how much money the government here would save on Microsoft Office licences alone!
Look what happened in Australia with internet censorship. Lots of people are starting to complain about the law that regulates this aspect of internet browsing. Some companies are very upset for being banned for no good reason.
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