Net-cloud future

Our EU Cloud Strategy has taken off and is in mid-flight. This edition of net-cloud future will give you a glimpse of ongoing activities and developments in this area - enough to whet your curiosity as to what comes next! A recent highlight was the 14 November 2013 launch of Cloud-for-Europe, a "pre-commercial procurement" initiative, in Berlin. Both Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes and President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves were present for the launch (see pages 8 and 9). This initiative certainly marks an important milestone in the implementation of our Cloud Strategy! And there is more to come: cloud and software research has a budget of €125 million for 2014/2015 within Horizon 2020. The programme has various funding instruments making it possible to further explore cloud infrastructures and services, boost public sector productivity and innovation, and also develop tools and methods for software development. The European Council concluded in October 2013 that "several strategic technologies such as Big Data and Cloud Computing are important enablers for productivity and better services". This is strong recognition of the strategic importance of the cloud. Curious? Please browse our magazine to find out about recent, current and future developments and research in our area!