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The leaders of Ireland’s IT sector lined up in significant numbers at the new Aviva Stadium on Tuesday 18th May to attend the launch of EuroCloud Ireland, the Irish branch of an European Cloud Computing organisation. EuroCloud Ireland aims to, in the words of Mark Zuckerberg, provide the ‘elegant organisation’ for a community of users and providers of cloud based services that will give Ireland the competitive edge in the rapidly evolving area of Cloud Computing technology.

As part of the European wide EuroCloud organisation, EuroCloud Ireland recognises that an active community can leverage the benefits of cloud computing and understand and overcome any barriers. This community will be a local environment to promote the development and adoption of Cloud Computing technology in Ireland and help drive Ireland’s Smart Economy.

EuroCloud Ireland, as a not for profit organisation, represents the interests of both consumers and providers of cloud services from an educational and representative point of view. Our role can be seen as a facilitator for this cloud community to;

• Be an information source for Irish companies to help them leverage the benefits of Cloud Computing
• Use sub-groups to research specific topics, issue white papers and facilitate discussion on these topics among the community
• Provide a framework where service providers can benchmark themselves against industry best practice

Minister for the Knowledge Society, Conor Lenihan T.D., noted that “the Government is currently positioning Ireland as a global hub for green data centres facilitating the massive storage requirements demanded by internet cloud computing while lowering server and energy costs. This can only be a positive move for Ireland.”

Some of key players in Ireland’s smart economy presented to the delegates in attendance. Microsoft Ireland’s Managing Director, Paul Rellis, emphasised that the cloud represents an unparalleled opportunity for Irish companies, giving smaller companies access to world class computing resources to allow them to scale quickly and cheaply while giving larger companies the opportunity to innovate quickly and save costs. Microsoft has already invested $500 million in a green datacentre in Ireland and is delighted to be supporting Eurocloud Ireland in its efforts to help Irish companies realise the potential of Cloud Computing.

IDA Ireland‘s CEO, Barry O’Leary, was keen to underline the government’s successes to date in encouraging some of the world’s largest technology companies to move some of their key cloud computing operations to Ireland.

Important research, development and innovation jobs are being created in Ireland as a result of the IDA’s work and if Ireland succeeds in becoming a global hub for Cloud Computing, more jobs will follow said O’Leary. EuroCloud Ireland should also play a role here in producing an important forum for the industry to work together, develop standards and promote cloud communities.

Dr. Chris Coughlan, Head of Cloud Computing at HP Galway, the keynote speaker, said that there were three key strands to Ireland becoming a global hub for cloud computing;

• First, by attracting foreign direct investment from large and global corporations to base their cloud computing RD&I and operations here. Due to the efforts of the IDA this is already happening.
• Second, by Irish companies adopting Cloud Computing in their day to day business and the competitive near zero capital business model associated with it.
• Finally, by our indigenous software development industry taking a leading worldwide innovative role to capitalise on the enormous and sustainable opportunity that Cloud Computing presents.

Eurocloud Ireland will have a major guiding role in all three areas according to Coughlan.

For information about membership of EuroCloud Ireland and its future events and activities, please visit EuroCloud Ireland’s website at www.eurocloud.ie.