Westminster eForum keynote seminar

This seminar will look at the prospects for cloud computing in the UK, its reliability and security as a platform for business and government - and at the practicalities facing organisations adopting online services.

Cloud computing
Morning, 10th February 2010
Central London
 
With
Reuven Cohen
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Enomaly
 
 
Cloud computing is seen by many as the future of software.  For business it has the potential to produce huge financial savings, by removing the need to habitually upgrade hardware, software and pay for IT support.  But this year has seen suppliers suffer significant periods of service ‘outage’ and a number of embarrassing data losses and security lapses.  
 
Planned sessions will examine:
  • The use of cloud computing as a platform - SaaS, web applications and emerging services;
  • Reliability, security and stability - Is the technology mature enough to go mainstream?; and
  • Costs, benefits and challenges - The business case for cloud computing.
This seminar is organised independently, and on the basis of strict impartiality, by the Westminster eForum. 
 
Speakers
 
We are delighted that a pioneer of cloud computing, Reuven Cohen, Founder, and Chief Technology Officer, Enomaly has agreed to deliver a keynote address.
Other confirmed speakers include: Tom Greenbank, Solicitor, Pinsent Mason; and Stephen McGibbon, Regional Technology Officer, Western Europe, Microsoft.  Further senior participants are currently being approached. 
 
Overall we expect attendees and speakers to be a senior and informed group numbering more than 100, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior government officials involved in this area of public policy, telecoms and media businesses, software developers their suppliers and advisors, organisations and individuals representing the views of consumers and citizens, academics and representatives of the trade and national press.
 
Output and About Us
 
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out within a week of the event to Ministers and officials at BIS, DCMS, HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office, COI, OFT, the ICO, Ofcomand other departments affected by the issues, Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas, and other agencies. It will also be made available more widely.  It will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda and sponsor information. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
 
All delegates will receive free PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
 
The Westminster eForum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community.  The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition spokespersons and senior opinion formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.
 
Booking arrangements
 
To book places, please use our online booking form.
 
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below. 
 
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01276 489144. If advance credit card payment is not possible please let me know and we may be able make other arrangements.
 
Options and charges are as follows:
  • Places at Cloud computing (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £190 plus VAT (£218.50);
  • Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT (£92). Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
 
For those who cannot attend:
  • Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the question and comment sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 7 days after the event for £95 plus VAT (£109.25);
  • Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT (£57.50).
  • The publication can be ordered here.
 
If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending, please let me know and we will do our best to see you are not excluded. Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
 
If you would prefer not to receive any more occasional communications from us, please contact remove@westminsterforumprojects.co.uk, and we will remove you from our mailing list.
 
I do hope that you will be able to join us for what promises to be a most useful morning, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

See also: