Facilitating the cloud: the regulation of data protection as an engine to the national competitiveness in Latin America Facilitando “the cloud”: la regulación de la protección de datos como motor de la competitividad nacional en américa latina

Abstract

Cloud computing holds exceptional promise for governments and communities in Latin America to increase their national competitiveness, standards of living, and social inclusion. In this article written by two Microsoft executives, the authors describe the opportunities that cloud computing offers, with examples from many countries in the region. They recommend a public policy framework that would allow the maximization of those opportunities while highlighting how cloud computing can uplift economies by creating jobs, reducing costs, increasing agility, and enriching the capacity of governments to provide services to its citizens. Importantly, the authors highlight how cloud computing not only increases efficiency; it also increases equality. The article concludes with a vision that asserts the importance of achieving the confidence in the cloud that users require and how governments and the IT sector have the possibility to promote such trust so our societies can take advantage of the benefits of this innovative technology.