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US-Japan Cloud Computing Industry Forum In October 2012, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission was pleased to support and participate with the Keidanren and the American Chamber of Commerce of Commerce of Japan in a meeting of the "Cloud Computing Industry Forum" and the release of a report on issues related to the development and utilization of cloud services for presentation to the U.S. and Japanese governments. The report is organized around three major themes: 1) U.S.-Japan cooperation in establishing an international framework for cloud computing; 2) joint efforts to promote cloud computing in developing countries with the goal of overcoming the “digital divide;” and 3) important policy issues and challenges in promoting the greater adoption and use of cloud computing services. With regard to establishing an “international framework” for cloud computing, the report emphasize the need to build an internationally harmonized system and to promote an approach to Internet governance that maintains the openness and transparency of the Internet centered on a multi-stakeholder process. Support for advancing the use of cloud services in the developing world and in contributing to a reduction of the “digital divide” envisions a commitment by the United States and Japan to share “best practices” in delivering and utilizing cloud services in the developing world, with the goal of assisting these countries in dealing with social problems and strengthening U.S. and Japanese cooperation in this important area. Among the important policy issues and challenges in the cloud computing areas requiring cooperation among the governments and private sectors, we list six concerns: privacy, information security, the promotion of digital content, steps to secure interoperability and changes to domestic practices to take into account the new requirements of cloud computing. Addressing these topics demands close cooperation between government and industry. From that perspective, U.S. and Japanese industry recommend in this joint statement five areas for government action, directed to more fully realizing the potential of cloud computing in the two countries and globally. Click here for a copy of the report GIIC Commissioners Engage in Spirited Discussion on Issues Surrounding Internet Security, the Potential for Cloud Computer and Issues Associated with Internet Governance at 2012 Annual Meeting in London A strong turnout of GIIC Commissioners, government ministers and invited guests gather in London for an inspired annual meeting on April 18-19, 2012. The title of the meeting was Security Assurance in an Insecure World and The Pervasive Cloud. With the issue of access to the Internet and the necessary infrastructure to bring this access at the center of the GIIC mission, our 2012 meeting looked at some of those issues that impact the decision-making around the access question - security, governance and the growing issues surrounding cloud computing. The meeting was kicked off with a keynote address by Dr. Sujeet Shenoi, FP Walter Professor of Computer Science, University of Tulsa. The title of his presentation on the issue of Internet security was "On Attacking and Defending Critical Infrastructure Assets". Following the address, a panel of industry experts, government officials and academia conducted a spirited debate about the issues of security vs. privacy with significant input from the audience. This session included: Vartan Sarkissian, CEO, Knightsbridge Cybersystems; Stephen Wolthusen, Royal Holloway, University of London; Gary Shainberg, Chief Information Officer, WISeKey; and John Frieslaar, Chief Technology Officer, Huawei Europe. Sujeet Shenoi also join the discussion. As is always the case with GIIC meetings, our Commissioners and guests addressed the full range of challenges and opportunities facing the ICT industry in this area -- including the economic and technological challenges as well as the need to balance these issues with the right degree of privacy protection for the user. This panel discussion was followed by a presentation from Dr. Makoto Yokozawa, Senior Consultant, Center for Knowledge Exchange & Creation, Nomura Research Institute. He presented as a follow-up to an earlier GIIC initiative focused on Green Technology - the Eco-Innovation Index. This is an effort being spearheaded by GIIC member companies, Nomura Research Institute and Hitachi and fully supported by the GIIC. At lunch, GIIC Commissioners and guest heard from Soumitra Dutta, Roland Berger Professor of Business and Technology, INSEAD on the most recent Global Information Technology Report. The afternoon program began with a panel discussion of the upcoming challenges facing ICT companies on the Internet Governance agenda leading up to the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT). The panel was moderated by Marilyn Cade, Internet Strategies and included Constance Bommelear, Internet Society (ISOC); Mark Swarbrick, UK Ministry of Culture, Communications and Creative Industries; Chengetai Masango, IGF Secretariat, (IGF); Mike Corkerry, AT&T EMEA; Ian Osborne, Director, Cloud Program, IntellectUK; and Tony Holmes, Independent Consultant. The panel brought to light many of the challenges facing ICT companies and governments in the realm of Internet Governance. We were given an update on the actions of the Internet Governance Forum and all the speakers addressed the importance of active participation by all stakeholders leading up the WCIT meeting in Dubai in November, 2012. The final panel discussion of the afternoon of titled, "The Impact, Risk and Global Benefit of a Pervasive Cloud". The discussion was moderated by GIIC Commissioner, Jose M Villalvazo, Chairman & CEO, Tecelmex. With an agenda of focusing on both the opportunities and the risks of the cloud, the GIIC was able to bring together an excellent group of experts to discuss the full range of issues associated with Cloud Computing. The speakers included: Don Rippert, CEO Basho Technologies; Dr. Kazuo Murano, Executive Advisor/Former chairman of Fujitsu Laboratory; Bjarni Thorvardarson, President & CEO, Hibernia Atlantic; Andy Johnson, Chief Strategy Officer, Global Telecom & Technology; and Wes Durow, Vice President of Global Marketing, Sonus Networks. Prior to the day-long meeting, GIIC Commissioners and guests attended a reception and dinner at the Royal Air Force Museum in London. Having set the agenda for 2012, the GIIC Commissioners will again move forward with a set of priorities issues and efforts to continue to make a contribution to ensuring the all citizens of the world are getting closer to having the necessary infrastructure in place to utilize the Internet for the betterment of their lives. 2012 Annual Meeting to Focus on Internet Security, The 2012 annual meeting of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC) has been set for The title of our meeting is Security Assurance in an Insecure World and The Pervasive Cloud. Our meeting will include keynote addresses as well as panel discussions on these two main themes - Internet Security and the critical issues surround Cloud Computing. In addition, we have added a panel discussion on the upcoming challenges facing ICT companies on Internet Governance issues leading up to the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT). As is always the case with GIIC meetings, our Commissioners and guests will address the economic and technological challenges of these pressing issues for the ICT community and determine a course for the GIIC and for technology companies to proactively addressing issues at this time. All of our meetings include tremendous interaction between speakers and invited guests. We would like to invite meeting attendees to deliver remarks at our lunch on the activities of the OECD on the issue we are focused on in London - Internet Security; Cloud Computing and Internet Governance. As a thought leader in all of these areas, the views of the OECD will make a valuable contribution to our discussion of these issues. In addition to these discussions of Internet Security, Cloud Computing and Internet Governance, our meeting will hear from Matt Bross on "Assessing the China Conundrum. Balancing Both Risks and Rewards in our Flat Globalized World.". As a part of our 2012 meeting, our C-class executives from around the world will examine issues including the current capacity and security of the Internet infrastructure and the availability of the Internet to the global public. We will discuss the multiple facets of Cloud Computing and the ways in which this can drive greater access in the developing world. The GIIC Represents ICT Business Industry at Roundtable Discussion as a Part of Arab Spring High Tech Road Show On January 19-20, 2012, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GGIC) was pleased to participate in the Roundtable meeting with the leading Information and Communications Technology executives as a part of the Arab Spring High Tech Road Show. The High Tech Road Show represented a unique opportunity for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and government officials within the tech industry from throughout the Arab world to explore the latest products, services, and trends in U.S. technologies, to meet with representatives of the institutional investment community, and to network with some of the leading CEOs and policymakers in the tech industry. It is now in its fifth year and traveled to Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, and Washington DC. This is the first year that the GIIC has been a part of the High Tech Road Show. The Road Show kicks off in Las Vegas, Nevada at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest consumer electronics event in the United States. NUSACC & IJMA3-USA has arranged meetings for delegates with senior executives representing some of the biggest names in the industry, as well as small and mid-sized companies that are emerging market leaders. After Las Vegas, delegates fly by executive private jet to Silicon Valley, a focal point of America's high-tech industry. NUSACC & IJMA3-USA have arranged high-level meetings that are crafted to explore business prospects in the Arab world, including export and import of technologies and services with a focus on developing the long-term partnering opportunities between U.S. and Arab companies. The program of activities highlights e-government solutions, consumer electronics, investment opportunities, and the mutual exchange of expertise and training. In partnership with TechWadi and PlugandPlay, NUSACC and IJMA3-USA have organized a day-long conference entitled "Unlocking the Potential of the Arab Spring: Harnessing Technology and Innovation to Create Economic Growth in the Arab World". In addition, a VIP reception has been organized at the San Jose Tech Museum, in cooperation with the world-renowned travelling exhibition, "Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World". Delegates will finish the Road Show in Washington DC, where they participate in meetings with corporate government relations experts, technology-focused policymakers, and U.S. Government officials at the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Trade & Development Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and others the D.C. metropolitan area. Various Arab embassies are hosting delegates during their visit to Washington, D.C. The last stop on the HTRS is a roundtable discussion featuring ICT leaders from the Arab world and a conference on "The Arab World after the Arab Spring: Opening to Internet Freedom and Investment". A Practical & Pragmatic Look at Making Cloud Successful in Developing World For the sixth time, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC) and the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) were pleased to host a successful workshop at the 2011 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting held September 27-30, 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop, "A Practical & Pragmatic Look at Making Cloud Successful in Developing World", built on the IGF principle of multi-stakeholder participation by including panelists which represented the business community, government and civil society. For this particular IGF meeting, there was also a strong emphasis on ensuring participation on representation from Africa in the discussion. The panel discussion included: Philip Verveer, United States Coordinator for International Communications & Information Policy, U.S. Department of State (Government); Mr. Jeff Breuggeman, Vice President for Public Policy, AT&T (Business); Mr. Burt Kaliski, Chief Technology Officer, Verisign (Business); Mr. Jimson Olufuye, President, Information Technology Association of Nigeria (Business); Mr. Waudo Siganga, National Chairman of the Computer Society of Kenya (Business); Ms. Coura Fall, Senegalese Information Technology Association (Business); Mr. Robert Guerra, project director, Internet Freedom program, Freedom House (Civil Society); and Mr. Grady Johnson, Association for Progressive Communications (Civil Society). The workshop discussion was moderated by Dr. Imad Hoballah, Acting Chairman and CEO Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Lebanon. The workshop discussion seemed to reach a good agreement on the opportunity that cloud computing provides for Africa and other developing economies. There was considerable discussion surrounding the idea that cloud computing is the only practical way to deliver services to the large number of users who have mobile devices but not general-purpose computers. In order to accomplish this, there was agreement that all interested parties needed to work together to ensure that the legal and the business environment is "fixed". This was intended to speak to the importance that the governments will play in establishing an environment to allow the industry to grow while providing the necessary protections to attract business and ensure civil society that rights are being protected. Some of the discussion areas on this topic included: improvement to transparency; engagement with the full range of stakeholders; and a commitment by governments to recognize the value of these inputs in creating an environment for cloud to prosper in Africa. Importance of developing expertise in cloud computing regionally, whether within centers of excellence, online communities, or a "network of excellence" as Burt Kaliski of VeriSign suggested. Not only could knowledge workers in developing economies reach a global market for their services through the cloud, but also that challenges within those economies could draw from a global base of talent for their solution. Discussion about users’ need for confidence in the cloud infrastructure, especially by human rights organizations, which are looking for software and services that provide the highest level of protection to sensitive information. Capacity building was also an issue for discussion by the panel. There was agreement that both developing and developed countries and the private sector must work on detailed plans to improve capacity building for the developing countries if cloud is to be fully realized. On this point, Kaliski added that it is his view that developed countries need to work with the developing countries on a "Network of Excellence" to make sure that they do not only become consumers but rather producers in the cloud space. There was clearly an optimistic view toward a "sunrise in the cloud" in Africa at the conclusion of the workshop. While challenges on both the provider and user sides were highlighted, all of the panelists were in agreement that cloud would be a large contributor to Africa’s future. The GIIC continues to be a strong voice for the business community at the Internet Governance Forum and as an organization believes the multi-stakeholder approach of IGF is a valuable tool to address the full range of issues associated with Internet governance. GIIC Hosts Success Workshop on Cloud Computing Issues in the Developing World at the Fifth Meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 
For the fifth consecutive year, the Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC) hosted a workshop as a part of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) on September 14-17, 2010. In Vilnius, Lithuania, the GIIC’s workshop, "Engendering Confidence in the Cloud - Addressing Questions of Security and Privacy in Developed and Developing Countries", was focused on the emerging issue for the IGF - cloud computing. With nearly 100 people in attendance for the workshop, the interaction between the panel and audience was robust and engaging -- reflecting the importance of the issue at this time. 2010 Annual Meeting to Focus on Internet Security The GIIC has announced the theme of the 2010 annual meeting will be Internet security. The meeting is being held at the TechAmerica office in Washington, D.C. on Friday, May 28. A reception and dinner are schedule on May 27 for GIIC Commissioners, speakers and invited guests. The title for the 2010 GIIC annual meeting is "Internet Security: How Safe is the Infrastructure". Our dinner is planned for Thursday, May 27 at the Newseum in Washington DC. The keynote address for the annual meeting will be presented by Vint Cerf of Google on this issue of Internet security. In addition, we will have a presentation on critical infrastructure protection from Alan Paller, director of research, SANS Institute. The meeting will also include two panel discussions -- "Security on the Cloud - More or Less Secure than Behind Your Firewall?" and "Internet Protocol - Ensuring a Secure Environment". The GIIC is an important forum for the development of ideas and actions on key policy issues for the high technology industry - the annual meeting is an opportunity for government leaders and our C-level executives from Ciena, Microsoft, Accenture, Fujitsu, BT, Hitachi, Huawei, AT&T, Telecom Malaysia, and others to share ideas and address challenges to the ICT industry. The Global Information Infrastructure Commission was constituted in 1995 by the G-7 Information Ministers’ Summit to work with national governments and international institutions to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the Internet. The mission of the GIIC is to foster private sector leadership and private-public sector cooperation in the development of information networks and services to advance global economic growth, education and quality of life. A key component of our program to achieve these objectives is our annual meeting for Commissioners and invited guests.
GIIC Convenes London Workshop to Examine Fair and Viable Solution to Internet Capacity Sharing Issue LONDON, ENGLAND (Sept 30, 2009) - The GIIC held a high-level workshop on the issue of Internet capacity sharing and developing a path toward a solution for this issue. A copy of the workshop agenda is can be seen here. The workshop was hosted by Paul Excell, GIIC Commissioner & Chief Customer Innovation Officer, BT. The workshop was developed as an outgrowth from the GIIC annual meeting in Mountain View, CA in April 2009. The GIIC understands that various stakeholders in the Internet need to start assessing the likely impact of a new capacity sharing approach. That includes companies whose business relies on Internet delivery, and government bodies and public interest groups who have an interest in the Internet as an enabler for wider economic well-being and progress. The workshop brought together many of the key players on this issue from around the world to share the work and analysis of the current situation with Internet capacity and to explore a viable way forward. Among others presenting at the workshop were: David Clark, Senior Research Scientist, MIT; Bob Briscoe, Chief Researcher, BT; Professor Christopher Yoo, Director, Center for Technology, Innovation, & Competition, Penn Law; Leslie Daigle, Chief Internet Technology Officer, ISOC; Eric Klinker ,CTO, BitTorrent; Don Bowman, CTO, Sandvine and Richard Woundy, Senior VP, Comcast. All speaker presentations can be found here. The approach presented by BT aims to add transparency of usage costs to the Internet’s design. The claimed outcome is for basic bit-transport to be a viable business in its own right—because return on capacity investment would be less risky if free-riding at the expense of others were visible and controllable in a neutral way. At the same time, under-investment in capacity would be obvious to the market and, with a fair solution to Internet-sharing, carriers could allow the ICT market broader freedom to innovate. A copy of the workshop report can be found here. GIIC Commissioners are now reviewing the inputs from the workshop and developing a "manifesto" on the issue to guide its activities and engagement on this issue. Recognizing the importance of this issue, the GIIC is determined to make a contribution in securing a sensible, viable and fair solution to the growing problem and working towards its implementation.
GIIC Recognizes the Contribution of Michio Naruto on the Occasion of his Passing
It is with deep sadness and a sense of loss and regret that the Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC) notes the passing away of Mr. Michio Naruto on July 14, 2009. We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this time of loss. The GIIC would like to recognize and honor the tremendous contributions of Mr. Naruto, who served as the GIIC‘s Asia Co-Chair from 1998 to 2005. His leadership, vision and dedication to the GIIC were vital to the establishment and success of the organization. GIIC Commissioners will always remember Mr. Naruto with deep affection and respect. These global business leaders found him to be thoughtful, warm and a wonderful spokesman for Fujitsu, GIIC and Japan. His charming and humorous side made him a well loved leader at the GIIC. Mr. Naruto served in numerous senior executive positions for Fujitsu Limited. Under his leadership, Fujitsu accelerated its globalization program through overseas expansion and international alliances. Mr. Naruto was active in a number of national and international industry associations. He was a leader in the Japan Business Federation (NIPPON KEIDANREN), the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), and the Japan-U.S. Business Council. He was involved in the Global Internet Project (GIP) and the Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce (GBDe), as a co-chair for the Asia-Oceania Region. In 1997, he received an award from the Government of Japan for his work in promoting an information-oriented society. We will surely miss this truly international business leader and visionary.
GIIC 2009 ANNUAL MEETING IN SILICON VALLEY EXAMINES ROLE OF ICT IN GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS Mountain View, CA, April, 22 - Senior-level leaders of the Global Information Infrastructure Commissioner gathered in Silicon Valley for 2009 GIIC annual meeting to examine the role of ICT in the global economic crisis. The chairman of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission and CEO of One Communication, Howard Janzen, presided at the meeting which was co-hosted by Marshall Phelps, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft, and Don Rippert, CTO, Accenture. Steve Jurvetson, director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, gave the keynote address at the meeting focused on technology innovation as a force to improve current economic crisis and disruptive environment. Guru Parulkar, executive director, Clean Slate Internet Design Project, Stanford University, advocated for the redesign of the Internet to accelerate technology innovation and economic growth. Through the two-day conference, GIIC commissioners and participants exchanged views on the impact of the economic crisis on the utilization of ICT, explored how to manage investment risk and restore profitability. Participants examined Internet capacity, access to the Internet and reiterated its importance for education and healthcare. The GIIC also engaged in a discussion about the role of ICT in Smart Grid Initiatives, led by Don Rippert of Accenture. Recognizing the important role of ICT in this field, the GIIC agreed to develop a more detailed position and become engaged in this issue. GIIC Commissioners also agreed to further explore the issue of Internet congestion and cost transparency in a workshop to be hosted by BT.
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