Eurocloud UK absorbed into Cloud Industry Forum

UK chapter of the pan-European cloud body ceased its work yesterday

The UK arm of European cloud advocate Eurocloud has shut down, with its members being absorbed by fellow cloud group the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF).

Eurocloud ceased its work yesterday (31 January) and CIF said this morning that it is welcoming EuroCloud UK members, joining forces with the community to create a larger membership with a broader range of activities and benefits for its members.

CIF was founded in 2009 and aims to advocate the adoption and use of cloud services among businesses and individuals, as well as educating businesses operating in the space.

Eurocloud has a similar philosophy but operates on a pan-European basis, with chapters in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK. Collectively, it has more than 2,000 members, 50 of which are from the UK.

CIF CEO Alex Hilton said his organisation will honour commitments made to them by Eurocloud.

Phil Wainewright, chairman of EuroCloud UK, added that the two organisations have always been closely aligned.

"We have always seen clear synergies between the two organisations. Combining forces with all our members under the CIF banner and working towards a common goal is a welcome development that stands to benefit the wider industry," he said.

Ian Moyse, a cloud expert who has been on both organisations' boards for the past seven years, added: "The goals of both cloud bodies have been pretty aligned and consistent and have come together more in the past two years to drive openness, transparency and best practice in the cloud sector, and we found that many organisations were having to decide which body to join here in the UK. It makes total sense to combine together and drive forwards as a stronger cloud unit."

Mitchell Feldman, chief digital officer at RedPixie, was recently awarded an honorary membership to CIF, and he welcomed the move.

"I think this swallowing up or migrating over is a clear message for the UK market," he said. "It certainly gives CIF more gravitas and more members. It will reaffirm their message and give them great kudos. I think they need to have a louder voice and this will help amplify the message."