Storing Information in the Cloud – A Research Project

Cloud computing as a new delivery model is proving challenging for recordkeeping professionals. The ARA/Aberystwyth University research project, ‘Storing Information in the Cloud’ aimed to investigate the management, operational and technical issues surrounding the storage of information in the cloud. It also set out to develop a toolkit that could assist information professionals in assessing the risks and benefits of outsourcing information storage and processing. Based on the information gathered through a literature review, questionnaire, an unconference, as well as interviews with cloud providers and customers, the outcomes included the Cloud Computing Toolkit, a list of cloud computer resources relevant to the records and information community and specific recommendations. These include further research into the implications of cloud computing for record-keeping principles and practice and the development of cloud-specific guidance and policies and a pool of resources relating to cloud computing and information management. The extension of the research to consider its implication for the long-term preservation of digital material was also a recommendation and the development of a more active role for professional bodies in bringing together information professionals and in forming interest/working groups on specific related to cloud computing. New technologies or new models continue to challenge the profession's ability to maintain information governance and assurance and on-going research is required to ensure that we address the practical and strategic issues of the fluid information ecology.