CLOUD COMPUTING - ICT AS A SERVICE

Cloud computing is one of the most important current trends in the field of information and communications technology, and ICT management. Elements of cloud computing are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). The term cloud computing derives from the cloud symbol usually used to represent the internet and the complex infrastructure behind it in graphics.

In this contribution we will briefly discuss a number of interesting new developments in the fields of IT, privacy and e-commerce in Belgium in the past year, including new legislation, decisions and reports from regulators and case law.

As we move forward into the worst economic times since the Great Depression there is no shortage of bad news: almost every country and industry has been adversely affected; some banks have failed, others have been nationalised and all seem reluctant to lend; numerous companies have filed for bankruptcy and most are slashing costs hoping to live to fight another day; and M&A activity is in the doldrums.Fear, uncertainty and doubt seem to be the order of the day.

German IT law has been influenced by three legal projects and a couple of interesting court decisions, all of which will affect the IT industry.

‘Modern’ data protection laws first appeared in 1970 (in Germany) as a response to the use of computers to process information about people. At that time, however, there were relatively few computers and most were in the public or academic sectors, and at a few large corporations. Moreover, these machines tended to be housed in secure locations without direct connections to the outside world. For regulators, the task of tracking and supervising the processing of personal data might have been a realistic objective initially, although not for long.

With the benefit of over 14 years of research and tens of thousands of votes from clients and private practitioners, Who’s Who Legal takes a closer look at developing trends in the internet, e-commerce & data protection legal marketplace worldwide.

In this section we analyse the findings of our research in greater depth to identify the firms and practitioners who stand out worldwide.

Our research into this practice area has deepened with each successive edition and this book includes 479 high-calibre practitioners. We have broadened the parameters of our research to include data protection and IT specialists as well as lawyers who focus on internet and e-commerce (and those whose practice comprises several or all of these areas).

“There is not a company on the planet that does not need to know what internet lawyers can tell them.” The business world has grown comfortable with the online dimension, and these days one would be hard pressed to find an established market presence or start-up without some sort of online presence.

Online businesses are proving to be resilient during the worldwide recession. This spring, Amazon posted a 24 per cent rise in profits while both Ebay and Google, despite a fall in profits, have performed better than analysts expected.

This edition lists 369 leading practitioners in this area. We have focused on all aspects of internet and e-commerce law, including pure internet law, intellectual property work, telecoms, outsourcing, media and technology. Many are specialists in more than one area and all are considered outstanding practitioners by clients and peers.

The fast-paced, volatile businesses of the internet and of e-commerce are witnessing a resurgence and present unique challenges to companies and lawyers, as the law adapts to new developments. This chapter identifies 262 leading practitioners in 34 jurisdictions. These individuals answer a growing worldwide demand for guidance past the pitfalls of data privacy, security and e-commerce, as well as complex IT and outsourcing transactions. Two trends emerge from the research: while the greatest concentrations of practitioners occur in England and California with 26 and 27 nominees, the firms with the greatest turnout are invariably international, with offices across the globe.