SA ranked low for cloud readiness
South Africa ranks 18 out of 24 countries, in a new ranking of government policies that influence the growth of cloud computing, according to a new report from the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
South Africa is rated below Turkey and Argentina in a first-of-its-kind BSA Global Cloud Computing Scorecard, which accounts for 80% of the global ICT market, based on seven policy categories that measure the countries’ preparedness to support the growth of cloud computing.
The seven areas include: data privacy; cybersecurity; cybercrime; intellectual property; technology interoperability and legal harmonization; free trade; and IT infrastructure.
The study finds that, although South Africa’s weak ranking is a worry, even more concerning is that the current country-by-country patchwork of conflicting laws and regulations, threatens to undercut the full promise of the global cloud computing market.
To capture the full economic potential of the cloud, BSA urges governments to better harmonize their policies to smooth the flow of data across borders.
The report is critical of South Africa’s low levels of ICT use and broadband penetration, “and no comprehensive plan or funding is in place for expanding broadband infrastructure. However, South Africa is currently served by two submarine cables: SAt-2 and the SAt-3/WASC/SAFe system.”
It does note that three further cables are in the pipeline which address the infrastructure, and will provide high-speed access in the near future. It only ranks below India in this category.
The BSA notes that SA has useful laws in place for cybercrime and electronic commerce, but points out that the country does not yet have privacy legislation in place.
“Draft legislation presently being considered is expected to be enacted during the course of 2012, which would alter South Africa’s scorecard in this regard,” the report said.
It adds that some limited Internet filtering and censorship occurs, which may inhibit development of the digital economy.
“South Africa has only very basic copyright laws, which are not aligned with current US and EU copyright legislation, and the country has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright treaty. Significant work is required to align the country with international standards,” the BSA said.
A complex system of domestic preferences in government procurement opportunities was an additional potential barrier.
The top five rankings for markets with the most robust cloud policies went to Japan, Australia, Germany, the US, and France.
“The true benefits of cloud computing come with scale,” said BSA president and CEO Robert Holleyman.
“In a global economy, you should be able to get the technology you need for personal or business use – from servers located anywhere in the world. But that requires laws and regulations that let data flow easily across borders. Right now, too many countries have too many different rules standing in the way of the kind of trade in digital services we really need.”
“In recent years, South Africa has fallen behind in developing the policies we need to encourage the full potential of cloud computing,” said Drummond Simpson, chairperson BSA South African Committee.
“Now is the time to build the right policy foundation here at home, while also participating in the development of a healthy global cloud computing system.”
Loading ...