The Australian Government's announcement last week of the National Strategy for Cloud Computing is a welcome development and one that really moves the needle on the government's procurement policies for cloud computing.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, used the opportunity to set out the government's vision for using the cloud to boost innovation and productivity across Australia's digital economy.

Cisco has been working closely with the various stakeholders to help shape the strategy and feels passionately about the significant benefits offered by cloud computing. Our vice president of global technology policy, Dr. Pepper, has been particularly vocal on the topic; not least at Cisco Live in Melbourne earlier this year when he strongly advocated for advanced cloud computing services to be made available over a high-speed broadband network.

We have also supported public advocacy for cloud models by investing, with our partner Telstra, to bring thought leaders, such as Vivek Kundra, the former White House CIO, out to Australia to talk about the topic.

The support shown by policy-makers this week for cloud computing reflects the fact that Australian businesses are already moving quickly towards adopting the technology. Providing the next-generation workforce with the right skillset in cloud computing, through initiatives such as the Cisco Networking Academy, will also provide further momentum to cloud adoption.

As we look to a future that will increasingly be played out on the world stage, the take-up of cloud services will boost both innovation and productivity in Australia, helping us to retain a competitive advantage in global business and send us well on our way to becoming a more digital economy.