Govt wants to help small businesses adopt cloud

The federal government has released a series of guides that it hopes will inspire small businesses adopt and use cloud computing services.

Cloud computing lowers cost barriers to adoption of new ICT technology and practices. KPMG has estimated that increased adoption of cloud services by Australian businesses could lift the Australian economy by $3.32 billion per year.

The guides - published on the Digital Business website - cover a range of topics, from questions to ask cloud providers through to legal issues.

These guides for small business came about through the development of a more detailed review of regulation that affects the cloud services market in Australia. The Cloud Computing Regulatory Stock Take provides an overview of regulation of the cloud market and how this might influence the take-up of services.

The government is inviting comment by industry, other stakeholders, and the public, especially on whether the regulation in this space is overly complex or burdensome.

The small business guides are available at www.digitalbusiness.gov.au/tools/cloud-computing/.

The Stock Take is available at www.communications.gov.au/cloud.