India lags in cloud computing policies assessment by BSA; ranks behind Poland, Mexico

In a new study by BSA, The Software Alliance, that assessed cloud computing policies around the globe, India ranks eighteenth out of 24 leading IT economies, compared to its ranking of seventeenth in 2013. The finding is a sign that the legal and regulatory environment for cloud computing in India is not keeping pace with cloud innovation. The 2016 BSA Global Cloud Computing Scorecard ranks the cloud computing readiness of 24 countries that account for 80 percent of the world’s IT markets. Each country is graded on its strengths and weaknesses in seven key policy areas. Cloud computing allows anyone — a startup, an individual consumer, a government or a small business — to quickly and efficiently access technology in a cost-effective way. These services in return open the door to unprecedented connectivity, productivity and competitiveness. This year’s results reveal that almost all countries have made healthy improvements in their policy environments since the release of BSA’s previous Scorecard in 2013. But the stratification between high-, middle- and lower-achieving country groups has widened, with the middle-ranking countries stagnating even as the high achievers continue to refine their policy environments. “It is discouraging to see India continue to fall behind in cloud computing because of a lack of openness to digital trade and international standards,” said Jared Ragland, Senior Director, Policy – APAC with BSA | The Software Alliance. “Countries around the globe must recognize their policies affect the global cloud marketplace. The report is a wakeup call for all governments to work together to ensure the benefits of the cloud around the globe.” In terms of overall ranking, the biggest improvers are South Africa (moving up six places) and Canada (moving up five places). The top five countries in the rankings are: Japan, the United States, Germany, Canada and France. Notably, Thailand, Brazil and Vietnam, despite trailing in the rankings, continue to make significant and consistent gains and are closing their gap with mid-tier countries. The world’s major IT markets remained stable with modest gains. Negative trends emerged as well. For example, few countries are promoting policies of free trade or harmonization of cloud computing policies. Russia and China, in particular, have imposed new policies that will hinder cloud computing by limiting the ability of cloud computing service providers to adequately move data across borders.