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Facing a future with scarce resources and increasing pressure on budgets, the public sector in the Nordic countries has an urgent need to streamline and develop its use of IT. 

Cloud computing offers an opportunity to do just that. Using cloud computing, public authorities in the Nordic countries can save money on operation and maintenance of IT. At the same time cloud computing gives the public sector a possibility to increase flexibility and a greater opportunity to enable innovation and growth. Finally, the use of cloud computing can reduce power consumption in server rooms, which will have a good effect on our climate.

Cloud computing is here to stay. Several large nations like the United States, India and China have had an active cloud computing agenda for several years. If we in the Nordic countries want to make our influence felt and achieve a quick profit realisation, we must start working together on cloud computing now.

Therefore, the Informal Forum of IT Directors in the Nordic Council of Ministers has initiated this report in the attempt to launch a discussion on wether there should be a Nordic  cooperation on cloud computing and what it could focus on. We see the report as the first step of this discussion, and we look forward to hear the different Nordic stakeholders articulate their views on this matter. The report offers the Nordic countries a view of how to understand cloud computing - and more importantly, what potential lie in Nordic cooperation on cloud computing. The report proposes Nordic cooperation on specific areas. We would like to hear from other stakeholders, whether or not these areas are considered the right areas for Nordic cooperation.

The Nordic countries have a solid foundation for taking up cloud computing due to the high level of e-readiness, both when it comes to infrastructure and adaption of new technology. The Nordic countries share a very strong foundation, which we can use to move forward and become a forerunner when it comes to cloud computing.

Besides this many of the barriers associated with the use of cloud computing in the public sector are similar across the Nordic region. Thus we believe, that these barriers might be overcome faster with close cooperation among the Nordic countries.

It is our vision that the Nordic countries could establish themselves as a driving force for cloud computing in the public sector.

We hope this report will inspire and lead to increased Nordic cooperation.

Here you can read the  report  "Nordic Public Sector Cloud Computing - a discussion paper".

- The Informal Forum of IT Directors:

• Lars Frelle-Petersen, Deputy Director, Agency for Digitisation, Denmark.
• Timo Valli, ICT-director, Ministry of Finance, Finland.
• Guðbjörg Sigurðardóttir, Director, Ministry of Interior, Iceland.
• Katarina de Brisis, Deputy Director General, Department of ICT policy and public sector reform, Ministry of Government Administration and Reform, Norway.
• Magnus Enzell, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Enterprise, Division for IT-policy, Sweden.