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The ruling on cloud computing | ITProPortal – ITProPortal

February 18, 2017 | Author: admin

When it comes to digital transformation within the legal sector there are understandably many questions about how to handle sensitive information without compromising client confidentiality. This is also true when dealing with the internet as a whole, but particularly when it comes to cloud computing. In a survey by the Cloud Industry Forum it was revealed that 70% of IT decision makers regarded data security as one of their biggest concerns when deciding whether to move to cloud-based services, up from 61% the year before. Law firms are notoriously cautious about moving to the cloud and whilst many of them are planning to invest in new technology over the next two years, many are concerned about the risks involved with this decision.

The transactional nature of legal services means that IT availability is paramount, and the IT team must protect the business against threats like power outages, ransomware and other malicious attacks. Updating the IT infrastructure that legal firms use to do this, for example by migrating to the cloud, is now becoming key to enhancing operational efficiency, increasing IT security and ensuring the overall future success of individual legal firms.

Advantages of cloud migration

Increasingly, law firms are beginning to migrate to the cloud. Recently, New York law firm Graubard Miller and Thames Valley based solicitor B P Collins, migrated to the iland cloud for both Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service and cloud hosting services. This reflects the overall market need for reliable, secure and cost-efficient IT resilience, particularly in the face of growing business threats.

With the backup and disaster recovery services that are available, migrating to the cloud provides a much safer, secure and compliant option for businesses within the legal sector. Whilst there is still a bit of a misconception that the cloud presents a risk for legal firms, storing confidential data and client information in the cloud is actually a viable security measure protecting against both human and natural disasters.

Graubard Miller, for example, leverages on-demand testing functionality in the cloud to ensure everything will run smoothly should they need to fail over, as well as employing a hybrid cloud solution which seamlessly protects both physical and virtual machines. In addition, features such as role-based access control, two-factor authentication, turnkey security and compliance reports greatly simplify auditing processes and these measures provide an effective, efficient and easy alternative to traditional onsite IT systems.

As with any business, cloud computing offers law firms an effective means for storing large amounts of data in an easily accessible, cost-effective manner. When properly implemented, the cloud enables lawyers to work from anywhere, resulting in increased productivity and an enhanced work-life balance. More cloud providers also now offer cloud management via mobile apps, providing the user with even more freedom to access data. In addition to this, as data can be accessed and shared securely anytime from anywhere, collaboration among lawyers can be significantly improved.

Furthermore, the cloud offers potential cost savings for legal firms. This is largely due to the fact that the cloud reduces the need for in-house servers, therefore cutting down on the high cost of investing in and managing IT hardware. B P Collins, as an SMB who leverages the iland cloud through Managed Service Provider, Wavex, has benefited from opting for pay-as-you-go pricing in the cloud, making a significant saving on their IT infrastructure. Organisations are also often able to outsource cloud and data management to their cloud provider, saving costs and easing the load on their IT teams.

However, it is not a no brainer decision

Migrating to the cloud is not a decision that should be taken lightly, and legal firms must be aware of the options available to them to ensure their journey to cloud is the most secure and compliant it can be.

Law firms should always consider the security measures of a cloud provider when choosing the best option for them. Confidentiality is vital to the lawyer-client relationship, therefore cloud providers must meet international best practices when it comes to complying with rigorous enterprise security and control standards such as data encryption, intrusion detection and vulnerability scanning.

Firms also need to consider data sovereignty and privacy regulations and the implications of the legal domains in which cloud content is stored. Many countries do not allow certain types of data to be stored outside of the country; therefore the firm needs to know where the cloud provider is physically located and whether it provides mitigation strategies to properly safeguard stored data.

Cloud is vital to remain competitive

In order for law firms to remain competitive they must update their technology to ensure their services continue to evolve. As with B P Collins, operating within the cloud enables legal firms to work with individuals and organisations to provide a range of services, from securing international acquisitions to supporting individual needs and safeguarding clients interests.

In this ever more mobile age, lawyers are frequently required to access trial-critical documents on the move, rather than just from the office. This is why its important law firms embrace cloud computing securely to ensure their workforce is working as smartly as possible and their IT systems are highly available. If lawyers are spending a large proportion of their time every week out of the office, the ability to access data becomes a necessity.

Making the decision to adopt a cloud first strategy not only ensures high availability, data protection and increased IT security for legal firms, but also results in considerable IT cost reductions and enhanced lawyer-client collaboration. If technology is utilised well, migration to the cloud can only have a positive impact on the overall operational efficiency and ultimately the success of the firm.

Written by Monica Brink, VP of Marketing EMEA, iland

Image Credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock

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The ruling on cloud computing | The latest news from the Computer … – PCR-online.biz

February 18, 2017 | Author: admin

Monica Brink, director of marketing EMEA at cloud infrastructure provider iland looks at the advantages of cloud adoption in the legal sector.

When it comes to digital transformation within the legal sector there are understandably many questions about how to handle sensitive information without compromising client confidentiality. This is also true when dealing with the internet as a whole, but particularly when it comes to cloud computing. In asurvey by the Cloud Industry Forumit was revealed that 70 per cent of IT decision makers regarded data security as one of their biggest concerns when deciding whether to move to cloud-based services, up from 61 per cent the year before. Law firms are notoriously cautious about moving to the cloud and whilst many of them are planning to invest in new technology over the next two years, many are concerned about the risks involved with this decision.

The transactional nature of legal services means that IT availability is paramount, and the IT team must protect the business against threats like power outages, ransomware and other malicious attacks. Updating the IT infrastructure that legal firms use to do this, for example by migrating to the cloud, is now becoming key to enhancing operational efficiency, increasing IT security and ensuring the overall future success of individual legal firms.

Advantages of cloud migration

Increasingly, law firms are beginning to migrate to the cloud. Recently, New York law firmGraubard Millerand Thames Valley based solicitorB P Collins, migrated to the iland cloud for both Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service and cloud hosting services. This reflects the overall market need for reliable, secure and cost-efficient IT resilience, particularly in the face of growing business threats.

With the backup and disaster recovery services that are available, migrating to the cloud provides a much safer, secure and compliant option for businesses within the legal sector. Whilst there is still a bit of a misconception that the cloud presents a risk for legal firms, storing confidential data and client information in the cloud is actually a viable security measure protecting against both human and natural disasters.

Graubard Miller, for example,leverages on-demand testing functionality in the cloud to ensure everything will run smoothly should they need to fail over, as well as employing a hybrid cloud solution whichseamlessly protects both physical and virtual machines. In addition, features such as role-based access control, two-factor authentication, turnkey security and compliance reports greatly simplify auditing processes and these measures provide an effective, efficient and easy alternative to traditional onsite IT systems.

As with any business, cloud computing offers law firms an effective means for storing large amounts of data in an easily accessible, cost-effective manner. When properly implemented, the cloud enables lawyers to work from anywhere, resulting in increased productivity and an enhanced work-life balance. More cloud providers also now offer cloud management via mobile apps, providing the user with even more freedom to access data. In addition to this, as data can be accessed and shared securely anytime from anywhere, collaboration among lawyers can be significantly improved.

Furthermore, the cloud offers potential cost savings for legal firms. This is largely due to the fact that the cloud reduces the need for in-house servers, therefore cutting down on the high cost of investing in and managing IT hardware. B P Collins, as an SMB who leverages the iland cloud through Managed Service Provider,Wavex, has benefited from opting for pay-as-you-go pricing in the cloud, making a significant saving ontheir IT infrastructure.Organisations are also often able to outsource cloud and data management to their cloud provider, saving costs and easing the load on their IT teams.

However, it is not a no brainer decision

Migrating to the cloud is not a decision that should be taken lightly, and legal firms must be aware of the options available to them to ensure their journey to cloud is the most secure and compliant it can be.

Law firms should always consider the security measures of a cloud provider when choosing the best option for them. Confidentiality is vital to the lawyer-client relationship, therefore cloud providers must meet international best practices when it comes to complying with rigorous enterprise security and control standards such as data encryption, intrusion detection and vulnerability scanning.

Firms also need to consider data sovereignty and privacy regulations and the implications of the legal domains in which cloud content is stored. Many countries do not allow certain types of data to be stored outside of the country; therefore the firm needs to know where the cloud provider is physically located and whether it provides mitigation strategies to properly safeguard stored data.

Cloud is vital to remain competitive

In order for law firms to remain competitive they must update their technology to ensure their services continue to evolve. As with B P Collins, operating within the cloud enables legal firmsto work with individuals and organisations to provide a range of services, from securing international acquisitions to supporting individual needs and safeguarding clients interests.

In this ever more mobile age, lawyers are frequently required to access trial-critical documents on the move, rather than just from the office. This is why its important law firms embrace cloud computing securely to ensure their workforce is working as smartly as possible and their IT systems are highly available. If lawyers are spending a large proportion of their time every week out of the office, the ability to access data becomes a necessity.

Making the decision to adopt a cloud first strategy not only ensures high availability, data protection and increased IT security for legal firms, but also results in considerable IT cost reductions and enhanced lawyer-client collaboration. If technology is utilised well, migration to the cloud can only have a positive impact on the overall operational efficiency and ultimately the success of the firm.

PCR's Sector Spotlight on the Cloud in association with Westcoast is running throughout September 2016 - click here for more articles

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Core Developer: Bitcoin is About Financial Sovereignty, Not Speed – The Merkle

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Eric Lombrozo, a Bitcoin Core developer, believes that bitcoin is about financial independence and freedom, rather than providing a centralized settlement network which already serves as the backbone of todays global financial ecosystem.

Over the past two years, various bitcoin communities, analysts and experts have debated on the characterization of bitcoin; specifically whether bitcoin demonstrates the qualities of a settlement network or digital gold.

Since the initial deployment of the bitcoin network, Bitcoin Core developers and other talents in the open source development community of bitcoin have focused on strengthening security measures to eliminate the presence of a central authority within the bitcoin network and ensure the network itself will not be compromised in the future.

The prioritization of security instead of flexibility and functionality as seen in alternative failed blockchain projects allowed bitcoin to prosper and evolve into a decentralized financial network that cant be censored or restricted by a governing entity. It allowed users to settle payments with low fees and at relatively fast speeds, in comparison to traditional banking.

As the bitcoin network grew in size, transactional delays caused discomfort for daily users. Some individuals expressed their concerns over the increasing transaction fee of bitcoin, which is currently at US$0.32 for an average transaction. A $0.32 fee should be enough to have transactions confirmed within a few hours.

However, the Bitcoin Core development team and industry leading companies arent particularly concerned of the rising fees as it is the result of the prioritization of security. Bitcoin Core developers are focused on introducing software like Segregated Witness (Segwit), which allows bitcoin to scale significantly without imposing major security risks unlike hard forks.

Users and investors shouldnt necessarily be overly concerned about the scalability of bitcoin as well because there already exists a scalability and transaction malleability solution in Segwit and two-layer solutions such as Lightning and TumbleBit that can contribute to the scalability of bitcoin. Lightning in particular enables the facilitation of micropayments, that open doors for many applications which intend to rely on bitcoin micropayments.

Bitcoin is still a technology at an early stage. Currently, the Bitcoin network allows users to make payments that werent possible before. Before bitcoin, users couldnt imagine the possibility of transacting millions of dollars within a few hours with less than $1 in transaction fee without the presence and involvement of a governing entity or a bank.

As Lombrozo explains, Bitcoin is about financial sovereignty. If you think its merely about fast and cheap youre short-changing yourself.

The contemporary structure of bitcoin makes it difficult for two-layer solutions to exist. Soft forks like Segwit however allows bitcoin to eliminate transaction malleability and alter its design to welcome two-layer solutions that could enable bitcoin to become a fast, cheap and secure financial network for mainstream users.

Lombrozo believes that the activation of Segwit, implementation of layers and introduction of innovative solutions will allow bitcoin to serve as an important technology to provide users with financial freedom, privacy, independence and flexibility.

You can make it fast and cheap with layers. Current network design does not allow it at large scale. I wish this werent so. Unfortunately HFs carry significant political cost and security risks. I also wish this werent so, noted Lombrozo.

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Bitcoin ETFs For Dummies – ETF.com

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Spencer Bogart is vice president of equity research for Needham & Co. He joined the firm in 2014 and currently leads the research efforts on blockchain technology and bitcoin while supporting research on cloud software (SaaS) companies. ETF.com recently sat down with Bogart, a former ETF.com analyst, to get his take on all the important developments in the bitcoin market ahead of the key SEC decision on the Winklevoss ETF, expected within the next month.

ETF.com: Before we jump into more specifics, in a nutshell, how would you describe what bitcoin is to the layperson?

Bogart: Bitcoin is peer-to-peer digital cash that's not issued by any central authority.

ETF.com: Tell us about the highly anticipated decision that's coming from the SEC. What is it ruling on and what are the odds the ruling will be positive? Spencer: There's a number of bitcoin ETFs that are going through the regulatory approval process. The one that's been going through the process the longest is the Winklevoss bitcoin ETF [Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust (COIN)]. That's been going on for about 3 1/2, four years now.

The exchange they would like to list that particular ETF onwhich in this case is Bats [owner of ETF.com]has filed a proposed rule change, which would be necessary to list the ETF. It's that proposal that essentially we've been watching go through the regulatory approval process.

At each point along the way, the SEC has had the option to approve, disapprove the ETF or to extend its time to make a decision. All along the way, its chosen the opportunity to extend the time to make a decision, including submitting requests for public comments.

Well now see an end to that process before March 11, which is the deadline. Before that, well either get an approval, a disapproval or Bats will withdraw its request for a rule change. Or, if no decision is made by March 11, then the rule change is automatically approved.

ETF.com: What factors are the SEC considering?

Bogart: I don't have any inside information, but my sense is that the majority of the things that the SEC is particularly concerned about revolve around bitcoin itself as opposed to anything specific about the Winklevoss filing.

They're asking if a digital asset such as bitcoinwhich, unlike a commodity doesn't have a physical form, and unlike a security or derivative, is not under any kind of regulatory supervisionis a suitable underlying asset for an ETF.

At the highest level, that's the kind of thing they're considering. A little bit more in the weeds they're asking if the specific markets that bitcoin trades on are stable, fair and efficient, and if they facilitate or enable or encourage any kind of market manipulation.

And then of course, there are the factors that are more specific to the ETF itself, which I think, in this case, probably the most important ones are what do you use as a reference price for bitcoin, and how are you going to securely store that bitcoin?

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5 Common Misconceptions About Bitcoin – The Merkle

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Satoshi Nakamotos creation is often seen as something it is not, as there are a lot of misconceptions that simply dont want to go away. Sometimes, because some want to smear bitcoin, and often because others fail to do their homework properly. Here are a few common misconceptions about bitcoin that the average joe keeps on believing:

Ponzi schemes usually involve a central entity trying to persuade possible investors, telling them they will make a huge profit. In these schemes, the only way those on top can make money is at the expense of others. Bitcoin is a decentralized peer-to-peer currency, there is no central entity. It does not require a constant flow of money to sustain itself, not does it require new adopters to survive.

Moreover, it is important to note that, if it was all a Ponzi scheme, we would assume Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoins creator, would live an extravagant lifestyle. He owns roughly 1 million bitcoins a little over US$1 billion at the time of press. Yet, these coins havent been moved in years.

It is true that Silk Road, an infamous dark web marketplace, helped bitcoin grow in 2011. In 2013, the FBI took down the Silk Road, but that did not stop bitcoin from growing. Recently, bitcoins market caphit $15 billion, as the ecosystem of legitimate businesses who accept bitcoin keeps on growing. In some cases, businesses can even get a special license that allows them to legally accept bitcoin as a form of payment.

Nevertheless, bitcoin is used by criminals, just like fiat currencies, commodities, app store gift cards, gym membership vouchers and pretty much anything with value.

In the early days, it was very hard to use bitcoin as almost no one was accepting the cryptocurrency. Nowadays, however, there are thousands of businesses accepting bitcoin throughout the world, and one can not only buy food, but also get a haircut, hire a lawyer, and even get a lightsaber. Theres a useful app out there, called Bitcoin Map, that lets users know which brick-and-mortar businesses around them accept bitcoin.

Heres a video of a transaction at Subway:

Hackers have been successful at stealing large amounts of bitcoin in the past, but that doesnt mean the cryptocurrency isnt safe. Most bitcoin thefts were a result of inadequate wallet security, and since then risk-mitigating measures have been taken. Yet, these high-profile bitcoin heists can make the currency look unsafe.

Users need to properly secure their wallets , and that means backing them up and encrypting them. Offline wallets are the safest way one can store their bitcoins, and even these should be backed up.

Although you dont need a bank account or a social security number to pay with bitcoin, transactions arent completely anonymous. Every transaction is publicly recorded on the blockchain in order to prevent certain actions, such as spending the same bitcoin twice.

Granted, its hard to use bitcoin transactions to uncover someones real identity, but it is possible. If someones transactions are tracked down to an exchange, for example, it is possible authorities uncover the persons identity through a subpoena. To protect ones privacy, a bitcoin address should only be used once.

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Bitcoin Price on the Rise Again After Regulatory Crackdown in China – The Merkle

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

It seems that the drama with the PBOC and regulations in China is becoming less and less significant, as these news dont seem to have as much impact on the price. In fact, the price is on the way to recovered to pre-crackdown prices as Bitcoin is trading at $1035 on Bitstamp. On Feb. 9th, the PBOC released quite a threatening statement which tanked Bitcoins price 10%, on the bright side it looks like the worst is behind and Bitcoin is setting a new price floor at $1000.

While Bitcoin is receiving scurrility in the East, the Western markets are showing massive support for the cryptocurrency. We can see that the Chinese markets are loosing dominance becausethere is now a premium of $40-50 for the Western markets, while the value per Bitcoin on the Chinese exchanges is lower than average. This chart from Tradeblock shows the price difference best:

Its only expected that Bitcoins price would be cheaper in China as many users refuse to convert their Yuan into Bitcoin for the fear that they wouldnt be able to withdraw the coins later. However, some more opportunistic traders are also doing just the opposite which is buying up those cheap coins in the hopes of the price stabilizing again once cryptocurrencywithdrawals turn back on.

People were doing the same thing when MtGox was going under, they bought coins on MtGox much under market price, since they bet on the exchange to returning to normal. Unfortunately for them we all know how that situation turned out MtGox filed for bankruptcy and every investor took a loss.

Other relevant news include the fact that Investing.com, one of the most popular investment resources has labeled Bitcoin as a strong buy. According to their technical summary chart for the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is worth buying at the moment:

It seems that traders are optimistic about Bitcoins support. However, in such a volatile free market any hint of drama can send the chart sideways. With the Bitcoin ETF decision coming March 11th, tensions will only increaseas traders bet on the outcome.

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Cryptocurrency Startup BlockchainOS Seeks Crowdfunding to Challenge Ethereum – Finance Magnates

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

BlockchainOS, a blockchain technology company from Korea, has announced an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) of its native cryptocurrency BOScoin from April 17th to May 31st, 2017.

To unlock the Asian market, register now to the iFX EXPO in Hong Kong.

BOScoin utilizes ontology language and timed automation technologies to try and solve persistent issues in decentralized systems. Itspresale in the Korean market already gathered over BTC2,000 (approximately $2 million) during a two-month period.

Yezune Choi, the BlockchainOS CTO and General Executive Director, commented, There are two primary issues that need to be solved in the cryptocurrency and blockchain fields. The first issue is the integrity of the Dapps (Decentralized Applications) on the blockchain.

The second issue is the consensus mechanism needed for confirming data on the blockchain and the decision-making process for revising policies implemented in the core blockchain algorithm. We have been working on these core problems for over 2 years and are now opening our research to the public.

BOScoin is a fixed supply cryptocurrency that unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, BOScoin sends a portion of the coins issued to a public account called the Commons Budget. Coins held in the Commons Budget can be used through the voting system to decide on future BOScoin policies. And since voting right is given to only the node operators who invested in the coin, the developers expect that funds from the Commons Budget are likely to be used for the betterment of the coin.

Trust Contracts are pre-defined programs or rules that users can create. Similar to Ethereum, the BOScoin team is also aiming to create a general-purpose language on top of the blockchain so anyone can write, upload, and execute contracts. However, BOScoins approach is technically different from Ethereum.

The BOScoin team believes security is the most important principle for smart contracts on the blockchain. As decentralized systems become more complex, these systems are bound to make mistakes and break. They say that the failure of DAO project from Ethereum is the exact case of it.

BOScoin say they believe in the importance of being cautious when dealing with digital assets. This is the reason they selected the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and TAL, the timed automata language, for the development of Trust Contracts. By using OWL and TAL for building contracts, due to the nature of the languages, they promise that Trust Contracts can be mathematically proven to be trustworthy and operate without any unintended consequences.

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Most Frequent Cryptocurrency Beginner Questions Part 1 The … – The Merkle

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Ever since I began learning about cryptocurrency in 2012 (and more seriously in 2014), I knew that it was going to fundamentally change the way that we think about money, commerce, and contracts. I was surprised by just how few of my friends and colleagues knew what even the most well known coin, Bitcoin, was.

Since then, Ive taken every opportunity to teach others about crypto and make myself available for questions that they have. These are without a doubt the most frequent questions I have heard while talking to newcomers about blockchain based currenciesand how Ive answered them.

So this is fake, Internet money?

One of the most challenging aspects of speaking to people new about Bitcoinis helping them navigate beyond the dichotomy of real vs digital. Since physical cryptocurrency tokens are extremely uncommon, many of those Ive spoken to have a difficult time viewing digital currencyas legitimate. To counter this, I usually question whether they feel the same way about direct deposit checks, credit cards, and online banking. Demonstrating to people that something they already trust and use is virtual as well often helps them realize that cryptos are indeed as real as the assets they already have.

So, how do you get Bitcoins and the other ones?

Acquisition of Bitcoinseems to be a particularly mysterious concept for the cryptocurrencyneophyte. I have found that this is especially true for non-investors. Since most people do not have assets in the form of stock positions or forex positions, the idea of having to buy an asset on an exchange may be foreign to them.

Mining and minting are also an interesting ideas to explain, and understandably so. Telling someone that they can receive money for running a program on a computer usually turns some heads. I do explain that mining is almost entirely not profitable if youre a solo miner or do not have access to free electricity. This means that I often warn individuals from trying to acquire coins in this way and suggest faucets -even though those have all but dried up- to get acquainted with small amounts of coins.

The method of getting coins people are most readily able to understand is payment. Companies and individuals are more than willing to pay for your services in the form of cryptos. Most people are familiar with the concept of paid work, so this is usually the quickest part of my answer to this question.

Isnt Bitcoinfor buying drugs and other dubious goods and services?

Cryptos have been plagued in the past by scandal. Sites on the deep web that accepted cryptos as payment methods gained some attention on news stations when some of those sites were shut down, and they brought crypto under the same scrutinous light. For these reasons, some approach the idea of crypto with trepidation. However, it is easy to explain that Bitcoinjust acts as tender for debts, much like fiat cash. What an individual uses the tender for is not the fault of the currency itself. In fact, many philanthropic endeavors have been funded in part or whole by cryptos as well.

So the next time you are speaking with someone who does not know what cryptocurrency is, or they have a poor understanding of it, keep questions in mind. I hope my experiences and answers better equip you to tackle the questions of new arrivals to the world of cryptocurrency.

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Amazon, Apple and Microsoft pledge to support government push for fair cloud storage use – ComputerWeekly.com

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Amazon, Apple and Microsoft are finally throwing their weight behind a government-backed push to get the cloud storage community to roll out fairer terms for users.

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed that the trio had committed to altering their contract terms to protect users from unexpected price hikes or service terminations.

In a statement, the CMA said all three had separately committed to changing their terms and conditions to ensure users get adequate notice of any significant changes to their services.

Also, if users are not happy with the changes these providers plan to introduce, all three have offered to give pro-rota refunds.

Andrea Coscelli,acting CEO of the CMA, said that, given how reliant consumers are becoming on cloud storage services, providers had a duty of care to ensure they treated users and their data with respect.

People rely on cloud storage to keep things such as treasured family photos, music, films and important documents safe, so it is important that they are treated fairly and should not be hit by unexpected price rises or changes to storage levels, said Coscelli.

Amazon, Apple and Microsoft have joined seven previous companies in working with theCMAand agreeing commitments to improve their terms and conditions.

As a result, millions of cloud storage users will benefit from fairer terms, which will help them make the right choices when using cloud storage services.

The likes of Dropbox and Google, and a number of lesser-known providers, have pledged their support for the CMAs review of the cloud storage market, which began in November 2015.

The initiatives aim is to assess how the terms and conditions offered by the cloud storage provider community complies with consumer rights laws.

This followed numerous headlines and reports about cloud storage firms raising prices, cutting the amount of free capacity they offer or shutting down with little warning to customers.

Notable by their absence, until now, have been Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, given that their services are relied on by millions of cloud storage users across the world.

Securing the support of these three means the CMAs review of the cloud storage sector is now complete, the organisation confirmed.

TheCMAremains interested in unfair terms and conditions, particularly in the digital economy, the CMA said in a statement.

Companies in the cloud storage and other technology-driven sectors are urged to keep their terms and conditions under review and to continually improve the fairness and clarity of their consumer contract terms.

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Self-Storage Operator Right Move Offers Tenants Free, Unlimited Cloud Storage With VaultDrop – Inside Self-Storage

February 17, 2017 | Author: admin

Right Move Storage LLC, a real estate firm specializing in the acquisition, development, management and operation of self-storage facilities, is offering new tenants at its owned and managed properties free, unlimited cloud storage through VaultDrop LLC. Customers can use the service to store documents, music, photos and videos for sharing with friends and family. They can also use it to receive their storage invoices and other information, according to a press release.

This is a ground-breaking idea, said Darren Kelley, president of Right Move Storage. "It was first presented to me by A.J. Esmailzadeh, co-founder of VaultDrop. We began working together to offer storage owners a unique product, which creates incremental revenue and profit for the owner, while also providing an amenity to help them gain and retain customers."

In addition to being a value-added benefit to renting a unit, the add-on service has created more interaction between tenants and facility managers, Kelley said. "Since implementing VaultDrop across our self-storage portfolio, our properties are realizing two to three additional rentals per month and generating incremental revenue, much like our tenant-insurance program, he added. We see this as a competitive edge."

VaultDrops free unlimited cloud storage will also be offered to all registrants of theInside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas, April 10-13, where the company will give a Vendor Presentation titled, The Next Great Ancillary Product: Cloud Data Storage. Show attendees who take advantage of the offer will enjoy free storage through April 31, 2018. Upon expiration, they can continue their subscription for $4.99 per month. Additional free offers may also be available at that time.

Launched in 2016, VaultDrop provides secure, unlimited cloud storage, according to the release. Accounts are encrypted with contents divided and stored across multiple independently operated servers.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Houston, Right Move Storage operates as Right Move Self Storage. It manages storage properties in California, Louisiana and Texas. The company is seeking acquisition and development opportunities nationwide.

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