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Cloud Computing Workshop: Interoperability in the Cloud

January 2011

This workshop was the second in our series on legal and policy issues related to cloud computing and was convened in January 2011 in Washington, DC. Our overarching goal was to stimulate conversations among diverse stakeholders regarding the risks and opportunities associated with cloud computing and to explore the potential of next generation governance models in dealing with these challenges.

This second meeting centered on the many layers of interoperability which shape the cloud computing ecosystem—including, for example, technical standards, contractual arrangements, liability structures, policy environments, and legal standards. In a constantly evolving cloud environment, defined by a variety of mixed products and services, these issues have direct bearing on the ability of industry, governments, and consumers to reap the potential benefits of the cloud while also being mindful of its challenges. Interoperability—of data, of platforms and services, and of the rules and agreements that govern them—is essential to the success and sustainability of the cloud. Interoperability also plays a role in the broader personal, business, and policy contexts in which cloud computing operates.

Workshop discussions focused on the ways in which various forces—including law, policy, technology, and marketplace innovations—might encourage or inhibit interoperability in the cloud. We will approach this complex topic from a variety of perspectives, including:

  • Technical Interoperability: In the move from on-premises computing to cloud computing and vice versa, and between different cloud environments, what concerns related to data portability—including efficiency, reliability, choice, and cost—might emerge? What central issues arise in switching between platforms and systems? How is data portability accomplished across different cloud platforms and services? How does each cloud model address interoperability issues?
  • Legal Interoperability: What are the costs and benefits of standardization, especially with regard to concepts such as identity management, data privacy, and security? What existing or emerging legal models—contractual arrangements, common privacy policies, and security policies—can help to confront these issues? Where do opportunities for intervention lie? How do issues such as data ownership, data protection, law enforcement access, and liability inform legal and policy approaches?
  • Policy Environment: What is the role of governmental actors in shaping and supporting interoperability in the cloud? What approaches and tools can yield standards that strengthen user confidence and security, while preserving innovation and growth?