Europe on a ‘Cloud’- From the Euro Cloud Congress 2011

At the recently concluded EuroCloud Congress in Luxemboug, Rainer Zimmerman, a key adviser at the Commission on technology policy, pointed out that cloud computing already accounts for around €35 billion of economic activity within the EU, which for a growing industry puts it within striking distance of more mature industries such as semiconductors (around €250 billion) and telecoms (some €2000 billion) — certainly big enough for policy makers to take notice. Some key innovators which bagged awards at the event had cloud computing implementation as a key to their success strategy:
• The experience of retail giant Carrefour won the French Award for local company PageOnDemand.com, reducing paper catalog production timescales from six weeks down to three with a flexible solution that could be deployed instantly and easily made available to a broad population of users.
• CRM vendor Really Simple Systems was a winner in the UK with its case study of how accountancy firm RSM Tenon was able to manage complex prospect relationships across 14 different offices to grow its business. Having an easy-to-use cloud application that was accessible from anywhere was a key factor.
• Eight years old and with nine employees, Netherlands winner Reflex Online is a typical example of how a small ISV can be highly successful with the cloud model. Its online appointments system for retailers, recreation and facilities providers is highlighted in a case study with a Netherlands chain of opticians with over 250 stores making a total of around 2,000 appointments every day. The cloud solution has helped this retailer take advantage of the Web to provide a better, more efficient service to its customers.
• Swedish winner eBuilder is helping 124-year-old Swedish industrial equipment giant Alfa Laval to stay competitive and improve efficiency, easing business process workflow and integration with partners and customers. Using eBuilder’s cloud process platform, outsourced logistics provider DHL manages end-to-end order fulfilment from Alfa Laval’s factories in Sweden to warehouses, distribution hubs and customers all over the globe.
[ From the article “Building up clouds in Europe” at zdnet]