21st July 2011
Cloud Industry Forum and UK Cloud Alliance align on Best Practices future
Star joins Cloud Industry Forum to help shape cloud standards
The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) today confirmed that UK Cloud Alliance founder, Star, has joined it in championing transparency and trust of online services for UK businesses. In doing so, Star and CIF have clarified three common themes that both parties agree on and seek collaboration in order to help drive improved standards:
1. The basic principles of having a single contract and Service Level Agreement (SLA) for customers buying a total solution.
2. The need in the market for customers to receive guarantees on data location relating to data sovereignty.
3. The fact that cloud delivery is causing changes to the IT supply chain – an issue at the heart of both organisations philosophies.
Andy Burton, CIF Chairman and Ricky Hudson, Star CEO, both recognise that the roles adopted by the UK Cloud Alliance and CIF are very different. CIF is a not-for-profit industry body whose aim is to advocate the widespread adoption of cloud and hosted services for organisations by demonstrating best practice as an industry. By contrast, the UK Cloud Alliance is a commercial initiative from a hand- picked and pre-vetted consortia of service providers, dedicated to the delivery of end-to-end cloud services for medium sized UK businesses.
CIF has established the only independent, Certifiable Code of Practice in existence which requires service providers to clearly stipulate their position against three sets of measures under the headings of Transparency, Capability and Accountability. Membership is open to everyone, and participation in the Code of Practice is not dependent on becoming a member. CIF also lobbies and represents members on behalf of the industry on issues such as connectivity, international standards and collaboration on technical integration and security.
Ricky Hudson, CEO of Star stated, “The UK Cloud Alliance cannot be viewed as a possible alternative to The Cloud Industry Forum, whose role is to set professional standards, unify industry practices, demystify the Cloud and validate performance claims. This work can only benefit customers and providers alike and those aims and intentions are fully endorsed by Star, hence our decision to sign up as a member. Star and the UK Cloud Alliance, believe there is a clear need to assist medium sized UK businesses in their migration to cloud services, it is for this reason that our Alliance members collaborate around a common, agreed approach to cloud implementation which helps accelerate early adoption and guarantee successful results.”
Andy Burton, Chairman of CIF, commented, “Ricky and I have had some great conversations off the back of the launch of the UK Cloud Alliance, and we are each satisfied that we understand and have a healthy respect for each other’s Member groups. Both CIF and the UK Cloud Alliance have a very different perspective and intention which is complementary. CIF Members are passionate about the principles of Transparency to help customers to make informed decisions and we look to Star to instil this philosophy into the UK Cloud Alliance and their members. We are delighted to welcome Star as a Member of the Cloud Industry Forum and look forward to their ongoing and valued participation.”
About Star
Star provides on-demand computing and communication services to UK businesses. Utilising an advanced cloud computing platform, the company has redefined how business people use and pay for the technology that supports them. Star’s On-demand Business Services™ are easy to use and pay for and are available any time and from anywhere, removing unnecessary costs for hardware, software and ongoing maintenance. Since 1995, when Star was founded, the company has been an Internet technology innovator and pioneered the system for cloud based spam and virus scanning for business email that became MessageLabs.
In the last 16 years Star has established itself as a leading IT and communications service provider of the highest pedigree looking after 3,500 UK business customers and their 500,000 users. Star has UK based data centres that sit within a network and communications capability that forms the basis of the Star Platform, from which a wide range of computing and communication services are delivered to customers. Star has over 230 employees working from offices throughout the UK, providing the highest levels of customer service and support. Star’s technology roadmap will deliver on-demand, cloud computing services to UK businesses who want immediate access to the latest enterprise technologies.
About the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF)
The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), a sub-group of FAST, was established in direct response to the evolving supply models for the delivery of software and IT services that has expanded well beyond the traditional on-premise method to one that now embraces hosted and/or, pay-as-you-use Cloud solutions. FAST is committed to the development and protection of intellectual property by software and IT service developers and aims to ensure the legitimate propagation of technology for the benefit of the industry and consumers alike.
FAST CIF’s purpose is twofold: To drive a common and public level of transparency about the capability, substance and best practices of online Service Providers (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, Web hosting providers etc) through a process of Self Certification to a Code of Practice. Second, this Code of Practice, and the use of the related Certification Mark on participant’s web sites, will provide comfort and promote trust to business and individuals wishing to leverage the commercial, financial and agile operations capabilities that the Cloud based and hosted solutions can offer. CIF will ensure the integrity and governance of the Self Certification process through regular random audits as well as investigate complaints from parties that challenge any specific participants self-certification status.
Our ambition is to bring business consumers and suppliers of Cloud and Hosted Services closer together in a trusted, sustainable and rewarding ecosystem.
