Study ranks countries’ cloud policies; Canada makes strides, Russia and China fall behind

CANADA — APRIL 26, 2016 — In a new far-reaching study by BSA | The Software Alliance that assessed cloud computing policies around the globe, Canada ranks four out of 24 leading IT economies, compared to its ranking of nine in 2013, a sign that the legal and regulatory environment for cloud computing in Canada is encouraging 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 start-up, 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 promising that Canada has moved up in the rankings, and shows that since 2013 Canada has strengthened its commitment to cloud innovation policies. However, there is still work to be done,” said Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. “Countries around the globe must recognize that 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 were South Africa (moving up six places) and Canada (moving up five places).

Notably, three of the countries that have trailed in the rankings — Thailand, Brazil and Vietnam — 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. 

The full, 24-country rankings and detailed findings are available at www.bsa.org/cloudscorecard.

Media Contact:

Leslie WhitelawH+K Strategies 416-413-4741[email protected]