International Cloud Symposium (ICS 2012)

The International Cloud Symposium (ICS) was designed to facilitate discussions between public sector administrators and Cloud experts on a global level. The interactive nature of ICS encourages attendees to share their recommendations on what “required” functional elements and measurable criteria should be present in cloud computing services or installations. In this context, "should be present" refers to aspects of a cloud service or installation that are likely to be necessary in order to satisfy the public policy aspects, governmental reliability and stability requirements, responsibility to citizens and constituent stakeholders, and broad, platform-neutral accessibility that generally are expected and desirable from useful, long-term government ICT resources.

ICS is a continuum series of annual events, each one building on the experiences and conclusions drawn from previous gatherings. The Symposia are held on a different continent each year, in an effort to encompass global perspectives.

Unlike traditional “sit, listen, and leave” conferences, ICS provides an interactive experience that produces valuable, actionable outcomes. Participants become part of an actively engaged community sounding board that generates productive ideas, activities, and alliances during and between events.

At the conclusion of this year’s ICS, a recap will be made of points raised, lessons learned, gaps identified, and paths charted. The Program Committee will publish a summary document outlining these issues and mapping out a way forward that may include the creation of new working groups chartered to develop relevant standards, specifications, profiles, and/or best practices.