A massive European “own goal”! Expert IT Group calls for big changes in draft EU proposal

The Commission proposal for a Regulation on Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions in the Internal Market threatens a massive ‘own goal’ says the Digital Policy Alliance. Its research shows that the plan could be a threat to exports and force high costs on small business. The Digital Policy Alliance (DPA) is therefore calling on the European Parliament, Commission and Member State Governments to produce much slimmed down and workable rules.

“Regulations won’t create trust, good business relationships will ” – Earl of Erroll, Chairman, DPA

This proposed Regulation expands previous legislation to cover the mutual recognition and acceptance at EU level of notified electronic identification schemes and other electronic trust services, with the aim of making existing electronic identities functional across EU borders and enhancing trust in electronic transactions in the internal market.

However, in practical terms the Regulation reflects a worrying remoteness from the technical and business realities that define whether entrepreneurs are willing to invest in cross-border online business. The proposal to regulate and audit trust services under mandatory legislation provides no greater protection to personal data than existing data privacy legislation, and rather than increase confidence in e‐Commerce, will only discourage its growth by increasing barriers to new services and new entrants.

The Regulation also introduces a blanket liability on providers for damage caused to consumers and businesses due to non‐compliance with the security or other provisions of the regulation, unless the provider can prove it has not acted negligently. While not all services and not all providers should be required to comply with the regulation, this excessive burden presents a massive disincentive for the provision of trust services, and will increase costs as providers insure themselves against the extra liability risk.

The combined effect is likely to discourage major UK exporters and intimidate the SME and micro-business community by increasing costs and uncertainty, and inhibit growth of the Digital Single Market that the Commission sees as a major route to economic recovery.  Instead we should work towards a framework of common standards that can be adopted by the private and public sector as appropriate.

The Earl of Erroll, Chairman of the DPA said:

“The regulation needs to focus on that which will help achieve the stated objectives and make Europe a wealth and job creating location of choice for globally trusted on-line organisations. At a time of financial pressure, that means recognising existing good practice and taking a technology neutral approach to facilitating the adoption of better practice to remove fraud, inefficiency, risk and uncertainty with regard to cross-border transactions, particularly on the part of individuals and small firms.”

Dr Edward Phelps, Secretary-General of the DPA said:

“At the time of economic uncertainty across Europe it is critical that we do all we can to support our businesses to grow. As currently drafted the rules risk increasing costs and uncertainty, and inhibiting the growth of the Digital Single Market. I urge the EU Parliament, Commission and Member states to urgently review the potential impact of the proposed rule before it is too late.”

A detailed analysis and discussion of the impact of the Regulation, as conducted by the DPA’s Digital Single Market Group is available at: http://dpalliance.org.uk/new-position-paper-stakeholder-concerns-around-eid/.

Produced by the Data Protection Subgroup of the Digital Single Market Group.

Members of the Subgroup gave a brief presentation to the European Internet Foundation event on Data Protection issues on 19th March in Brussels (https://www.eifonline.org/events/125-data-protection.html), based on key points as articulated in the paper.

The purpose of the Subgroup exercise was to conduct an analysis of the Commission’s proposals, to assess the likely impact on a range of stakeholders, and to inform key decision-makers and officials in the European and UK parliaments of the findings.  The Paper contains a Summary of the key issues of concern together with Recommendations, and is also being circulated more widely to MEPs, UK Parliamentarians and senior government officials.

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Forthcoming Events

Tuesday 16th April 2013
15.00-18.00 followed by Reception ~ Westminster
Internet of Everything Conference “Keeping Ahead in the Next Generation Internet Revolution”

Monday 8th July 2013
19.00-21.00 ~ Westminster
DPA Summer Reception

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The Internet of Everything:

Keeping Ahead in the Next Generation Internet Revolution

A Smart Future for the UK?

Tuesday 16 April 2013 – 15:00-20:00

Westminster, London

Kindly Sponsored By Cisco Systems

SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES

Lord Erroll (Merlin) plays an active role in thought leadership in the ICT arena, especially around Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. He worked for many years in software development, as well as spending 22 years in the Territorial Army. In Parliament he takes a particular interest in ICT, Countryside & the Environment, the Constitution and Scottish matters.

He is active in several Parliamentary groups, especially those looking at regulatory issues affecting use of the Internet, linking this with a Local Authority perspective through LASSeO (The Local Authority Smartmedia Standards e-Organisation). He is a member of PICTFOR (Parliamentary ICT Forum), is Chair of the Digital Policy Alliance (EURIM) and the All-Party Group on Entrepreneurship.

He sits on several Advisory Boards and was inducted into the Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ian Taylor is a former MP and Science Minister. He is Chairman of Living PlanIT SA which is developing an open standards software operating system for urban areas, connecting devices, sensors, and infrastructure. Living PlanIT recently won a Technology Strategy Board grant to create a ‘smart airport experience’ at London City Airport.  Ian is also Chairman of the Advisory Boards of Avincis Group and Brooks International.  He sits on the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council and is Chairman of the National Space Academy steering committee.

Dr Peter van Manen is Managing Director of McLaren Electronic Systems, the UK company that supplies the control and data systems to all teams and engine makers competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship, NASCAR Sprint Cup and IZOD IndyCar Series. Peter has worked for McLaren for over 20 years after starting his engineering career in the mining and railway industries. In recent years, Peter has taken the company in areas of business outside of motorsport and high performance automotive, including the aerospace, transport and healthcare sectors. The company’s extensive experience of telemetry and real-time data systems is also finding applications in new machine to machine and smart city applications. Peter is a mechanical engineer by training. He is Australian, but has spent most of his working life in the UK.

Rob van Kranenburg is a prominent international thought leader in IoT, speaking regularly at forums in Europe and China and with close links to the European Commission’s IoT activities. He bridges many communities and addresses the societal as well as technological and applications impacts of IoT. He is founder of the IoT Council, an international thinktank for the Internet of Things. He is Chair of the Working Group Societal of the IoT Forum, and a member of the Expert Group on IoT for the European Commission, and Stakeholder Coordinator for the EU IoT Strategic Project:

He is a Waag Fellow at the Waag Society, a Founding member of Interebet of People, and a stakeholder with the European Commission Internet of Things IoT-A programme.

Rob van Kranenburg wrote The Internet of Things. A critique of ambient technology and the all-seeing network of RFID, Network Notebooks 02, Institute of Network Cultures. And, with Christian Nold, he published Situated Technologies Pamphlets 8: The Internet of People for a Post-Oil World.

Maurizio Pilu has been involved in innovation for over 20 years. He is currently Lead Technologist in Digital at the Technology Strategy Board, where he is part of a small team responsible for high-impact strategies and investments in innovative projects and businesses across the UK. Amongst other activities, he is currently programme lead for the £5m “Internet of Things” programme, and recently co-led the programme for the establishment of the Connected Digital Economy Catapult centre, a £50m investment by the government. He previously directed strategy and investments at private equity firm specialised in early-stage investments in breakthrough technology businesses. Before that he spent ten years in the Office of Strategy and Technology at Hewlett Packard, leading and co-leading advanced technology projects.

He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and an executive MBA.

As co-ordinator of the very popular Internet of Things London Meet-Up Group in London’s Silicon Roundabout, Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino sits at the heart of the burgeoning “bottom-up” IoT activity sweeping young entrepreneurs. She is founder of the Good Night Lamp, an IoT related company and was Co-Founder & CEO of Tinker London, a multidisciplinary design studio that worked for clients including BBC R&D, BT, Nokia, EDF, Sony Ericsson, and more. Her work has been exhibited at the Milan Furniture Fair, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and covered by the New York Times, The Guardian, Wired UK, The Evening Standard and others.

She has worked in many different areas of interaction design, from creative online product strategy and new service offerings to physical computing and production. That background, and her broad interest in the role of products in peoples’ lives, and how we can interact with them in new ways, brought her to pioneer developing the public discourse around the “Internet of Things” (since 2005).

Julian Huppert is the Member of Parliament for Cambridge. He was elected with a majority of nearly 7,000 in May 2010. Outside politics Julian’s other great passion is science. He has a PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Cambridge and specialised in the structure of DNA. Before entering Westminster politics, he was also CEO of a small biotech company, which was awarded a DTI ‘Smart’ award for innovation.

Gary Atkinson, Director of Embedded Marketing, ARM, is based in Cambridge, UK, but spends his time travelling the world influencing people who already have or may have a use for embedded or deeply embedded ARM-based processors. Areas that use lots of embedded processors or microcontrollers are the Automotive, Smart Energy, Medical and Industrial Automation industries. He is particularly interested in how the mass deployment of low cost and low power sensors can provide the real-time data needed to improve production or energy efficiency, or automate how one machine talks to another.

Chintan Patel is currently the Head of Technology Strategy and Business Development at Cisco in theUK.  He spends a significant amount of time working with strategic customers and partners to drive innovative  and emerging technologies.  He is passionate about the impact the internet can have and how it can fundamentally change the way we live our lives by connecting the unconnected.

He has extensive experience in the IT and Telecoms industry across European, Emerging, South American and Asian markets and has worked in several industries including Financial Services, Retail, Transportation and Service Provider.  He has a background in Engineering and Economics which he uses to show how technology can solve real world problems.

Brian Devlin joined Glasgow City Council in late 2011 to lead one of its largest teams – Land and Environmental Services. He manages almost 3,000 staff responsible for everything from cleansing, parks and roads to environmental health and trading standards.  He played a key role in Glasgow City Council’s success submission to the Technology Strategy Board for the £24million Future Cities Demonstrator competition.

He had previously been both Director of Regeneration Services and Director of Environment and Housing at Stirling Council and, more recently, Business Director with civil engineering and support services giant Amey, with responsibility for strategic planning across Scotland.

Mr Devlin is a Fellow of the Institute of Management and regular speaker at conferences on public sector policy and service improvement. Originally from North Lanarkshire, he is married with two daughters and lives in Kirkintilloch.

Dr Chris Yapp is an Independent Consultant specialising in Innovation, Scenario Planning and Public Policy. Chris has over 30 years background in the IT Industry. He has specialised in network technologies and the impact on organisations. He has worked in local and central government, education, health, creative industries and digital inclusion.

He is a Patron of NACE and a Leading Thinker for the Network Education Trust. He is an Associate of the Think Tank, DEMOS. He is a Trustee of HumanITy and World e-citizens.

He is a Past Trustee of the School for Social Entrepreneurs. He is a Past Director of the Internet Society (England) and of the UK-Committee of the UK-Canada Colloquia, and UK UNESCO.

Chris is a Senior Associate Fellow of the Institute of Governance and Public Management at Warwick Business School. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society for whom he blogs on socio-technical futures. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Chris has written and contributed to a number of books on education and technology themes. His speaking Engagements have included the Royal Society, British Council, Club of Rome, World Bank, UN, Hay Festival and the EU.

Tristan Wilkinson is the founder of Digital Citizens, a company set up to deliver thought leadership and delivery collaboration for Smart Cities. Tristan also advises Go On UK the national Digital Skills charity on Innovation and business development. Tristan has spent over twenty years working across several technology companies, in a variety of leadership roles, mostly in sales, marketing and business development. Tristan spent over thirteen years working at Intel where he developed and delivered several high impact initiatives across the public sector business, including the Home Computing Initiative, Home Access program and working with several Governments across EMEA to deliver a variety of growth programs.

Tristan is also a Trustee for the Inclusion charity Citizens Online and has recently worked with the No 10 Policy unit on the Tech City and Start Up Britain initiatives.

Andrew Levi, Vice President – Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia at Cisco, joined the company in June 2012.  Part of Cisco’s global headquarters executive team, he is based in London leading Cisco’s government affairs and public policy work across the EMEAR region.

A senior British Government official, with more than 20 years experience of foreign and security policy, trade promotion, and global economic affairs, Andrew was one of the United Kingdom’s leading economic diplomats.  He initiated and led key international initiatives in areas including energy security, technology development, foreign direct investment, and post conflict stabilisation and reconstruction.  In doing so he established a notable track record of transforming organisational performance, through driving operational excellence, allied to innovative strategies, and developing diversity and talent.

Before joining Cisco, Andrew worked as Managing Director at UK Trade & Investment, responsible for assisting companies export from the United Kingdom and, as Executive Chairman of the UK’s national inward investment organisation, encouraging foreign companies to invest or expand in the UK.

Earlier in his career, Andrew served in numerous diplomatic postings including the British Embassies in Russia and Germany, working for the European Commission at its headquarters in Brussels, at the OECD in Paris, and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Cabinet Office in London.

A physicist by training, Andrew’s education has been international, at the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) – from which he holds his Bachelor of Science degree – the University of Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany), and the Harvard Business School (USA).

Andrew speaks English, German, French and Russian.

Produced by the DPA Electronic Identification Subgroup of the Digital Single Market Group

The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of the Commission’s proposals, to assess the likely impact on a range of stakeholders, and to inform key decision-makers and officials in the European and UK parliaments of the findings.  The Paper contains a Summary with key conclusions expressing members’ concerns, together with a list of suggested amendments, and has been submitted to officials at the Irish Presidency, with circulation more widely to MEPs, UK Parliamentarians and senior government officials.

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Vice President Neelie Kroes image059 image050 image041 image067 image054 image067 image083 image090 image043 image078

Perspectives for Mobile and Broadband in the UK 2020

Wednesday 13 March 2013 – 15:15-19:30

Westminster, London

The occasion will be an afternoon discussion with European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes, UK State Secretary Maria Miller and other prominent speakers, and the launch of Digital Business First, a campaign aimed at putting digital issues at the top of the political agenda.

 DPA will host this event jointly with the European Internet Foundation (EIF).

PROGRAMME

BIOGRAPHIES

Lord Erroll, Chair, DPA

Lord Erroll (Merlin) plays an active role in thought leadership in the ICT arena, especially around Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. He worked for many years in software development, as well as spending 22 years in the Territorial Army. In Parliament he takes a particular interest in ICT, Countryside & the Environment, the Constitution and Scottish matters.

He is active in several Parliamentary groups, especially those looking at regulatory issues affecting use of the Internet, linking this with a Local Authority perspective through LASSeO (The Local Authority Smartmedia Standards e-Organisation). He is a member of PICTFOR (Parliamentary ICT Forum), is Chair of the Digital Policy Alliance (EURIM) and the All-Party Group on Entrepreneurship.

He sits on several Advisory Boards and was inducted into the Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame in 2010.

Peter Linton, Managing Director, Burson-Marsteller Brussels

Based in Brussels since 1972, Peter Linton brings unique experience as an advisor on European policy and regulatory affairs. In 1989 he co-founded Robinson Linton Associates together with former European Commission Spokesman John Robinson. Robinson Linton Associates became a unit of Burson-Marsteller in 1996. Peter Linton has been particularly active in information and communications industry sectors, and has helped pioneer the creation of the European Internet Foundation in 2000 (www.EIFonline.org). EIF brings together elected politicians, ICT sector and civil society leaders to share understanding and experience of the digital revolution’s impact on European societies and political systems. As a co-founder and Rapporteur of the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN, ) in 1993, Linton is also deeply involved in the development of political thinking for recasting Europe/U.S. relations to respond to new common challenges. Linton is a native of Philadelphia and holds degrees from Dartmouth College, Stanford University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Matthew Copeland, Independent advisor on telecommunications networks and technologies

Matthew is an independent advisor on strategy and regulatory issues for digital infrastructure and services. He has been a member of various senior management teams involved in some of the UK’s most significant and successful ‘market entry’ digital infrastructure investments over a period of 16 years and has led key competitive challenges to incumbent entities such as BT and Sky. This has included the positions of Director of Strategic and Regulatory Affairs at Telewest Communications Plc (where he was a key member of the management team that planned the merger with NTL which subsequently led to the creation of Virgin Media) and Business Policy Manager at Orange Telecommunications UK. He has been at the forefront of the industry as it developed and expanded over the years, defining new digital TV and broadband markets and modus operandi for the industry, and leading in associated policy and regulatory discussions with UK and EU regulators. He currently supports the Digital First Group as strategic advisor.

Alex Pratt, Chairman, Buckinghamshire Business First

Alex is an entrepreneur who began trading bankrupt stock at 16 and has since pursued successful business ideas including manufacturing reading lamps used on board spaceships, tanks and RNLI lifeboats, and establishing the world’s first learning gym.

He is known in theUKfor TV, press and radio punditry on business issues. His columns in Director and Growing Business Magazines discuss business from a coalface perspective and his best-selling book “Austerity Business – 39 Tips for Doing More with Less” was published in April 2010. He is currently writing a definitive guide to entrepreneurship.

As industrial advisor to a number Governments, Alex was a key catalyst behind the re-branding ofBritainas “Cool Britannia” and he has taught at the Civil Service Top Leadership Programme. He has represented theUKabroad in theUSA, at the OECD, and the European Commission.

Alex led the British Government (DTI) International Innovation Team, was a chairman of DTI National Assessment Panel for business Support and was a member of National Adult Learning and Skills Council. He chaired the South East Economic Development Board; a region of 8 Million people with a GDP of £165 Billion.

Alex was founding Chairman of the Board of Entrepreneurs at thePeterJonesNationalEnterpriseAcademyand he speaks regularly around the World on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

Today Alex chairs the Local Enterprise Partnership for Buckinghamshire, an economy of 500.000 people with GDP 5 times that of Barbados that is known as the “Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain”, where he was also Entrepreneur of the year 2008. He is a founding director of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation and is a Justice of the Peace.

Alex was born three years before England won the World Cup, and was awarded an OBE for services for business and education. He is a holder of one of the rare lifetime Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.

Frank Nigriello, Chairman, Oxfordshire Business First

Frank Nigriello is Unipart Group’s Director of Corporate Affairs. In this role, he has led a number of innovative learning developments both within Unipart and in client companies.

Frank came to his current role after spending more than twenty years at the sharp end of designing and delivering widescale corporate change programmes. He began his career as a freelance journalist inNew Yorkand moved to theUKto work as a journalist.

He was recruited to IBM United Kingdom in 1984 and established the Communications Department as an in-house consultancy improving service and reducing costs. He later headed organisational communications at Barclays plc, leading the work on revitalising Barclays’ internal communications, community programmes and brand.

In 1994, he joined Unipart Group. He has led breakthrough initiatives in communicating complex ideas, transforming internal groups into commercial operations, leadership development, design of new IT applications, and the establishment of a new brand vision for the Group. He currently has developed a number of training programmes used by Unipart including communicating with influence, presentation skills and coaching skills.

Frank developed a consultancy business for Unipart turning internal staff into fee earning consultants. In that role, he helped to create a corporate university for the BusinessLink Network, create learning strategies for companies in the construction and education sectors, and designed and led a project called “University on the Shop Floor” with six companies inStoke-on-Trent.

Frank is chairman of Oxfordshire’ Business First, the not-for-profit company that is focused on innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. He has been Chairman of Oxfordshire’s Economic Partnership, Chairman of the Oxfordshire Employment and Skills Board, and a member of the South Regional Economic Delivery Council. He has also led a project to help unemployed managers find their way back into the workplace.

Frank is a founder member of Digital Business First – the organisation campaigning for a better national digital infrastructure, a board member of Fredericks Foundation, Oxfordshire, and Business in the Community’s South East Leadership Team.

Maria Miller MP

UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Member of Parliament for Basingstoke

Neelie Kroes, Vice President Responsible for the Digital Agenda, European Commission

Ms. Kroes political career started on the Rotterdam Municipal Council, and in 1971 she was elected as a Member of the Dutch Parliament for the liberal VVD party. From 1982-1989 served as Minister for Transport, Public Works and Telecommunication in theNetherlands.

After politics Ms. Kroes was appointed President of Nyenrode University from 1991-2000, and served on various company boards, including Lucent Technologies, Volvo, and P&O Nedlloyd.

Her charity work included advising the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and World Cancer Research Fund, and Ms. Kroes have an ongoing interest in mental health issues.

Since 2004, she has worked for the European Commission, as one of the 27 Commissioners working to maintain a peaceful and prosperousEurope. From 2004 to 2009, Ms. Kroes was Competition Commissioner, responsible for ensuring a level playing field for business inEurope, and fair prices and wide choice for consumers.

In 2010, Ms. Kroes became Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe. This portfolio includes the information and communications technology (ICT) and telecommunications sectors. For example: ensuring trust and security for the Internet and new technologies; ensuring competitive communications, such as in the mobile roaming market; building world-class European research and innovation in this sector; and above all getting every European Digital, with access to fast broadband, so we can make the most out of the Internet to support our economy and society.

James Elles MEP, EIF Co-Founder

European Conservatives and Reformists Group Member

Member: Committee on Budgets, Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee

Substitute: Committee on Foreign Affairs, Delegation for relations with theUnited States

University of Edinburgh(1968-1972).

A graduate of Edinburgh University. Worked in the Directorate-General for External Relations at the European Commission (1976-1980); assistant to the Deputy Director-General for Agriculture in charge of agricultural markets (1980-1983).

In the European Parliament: rapporteur on the European Union Budget (1996; 2007); founder and Chairman of the European Parliament’s All-Party Group onKashmir(2000). In the EPP-ED Group: Vice-Chairman (1999-2004); budget spokesman for the Group (1994-1999).

A founder of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (1986). Founder and Chairman, Transatlantic Policy Network (1992-1999; 2009- ). Co-founder and Vice-Chairman, European Internet Foundation (2000). Founder and former Chairman, European Ideas Network (2002).

Peter Olson, President, Digital Europe

In May 2012 Peter Olson was elected President of DIGITALEUROPE, representing the European digital technology industry. Peter is Vice President and Head of the Ericsson European Affairs Office in Brussels since 2011.

Peter Olson has been with Ericsson for more than 25 years and has held several management positions both inSwedenand globally. He has always worked close to the market and has a wealth of experience in all aspects of telecommunications, having served in many different business areas within the company.

Preceding his present position, he worked as Regional Head forLatin Americawithin group function Sales & Marketing for three years and prior to that as Program Manager for the Ericsson strategic focus area on software business. This was preceded by five years in the position as Head of product marketing and strategic business development at Ericsson Group level.

As Head of Ericsson DECT Business Unit, Peter was responsible for the full product portfolio of home cordless, business cordless and WLL solutions.

He has held several managerial roles in Product Portfolio Management as well as Sales and Marketing within the areas of both fixed and mobile communications.

Peter Olson holds an MBA from INSEAD, France (1988) and a Masters of Science from the Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Sweden (1982).

Tim Davie, Acting Director-General, BBC

Tim Davie was made Acting Director-General following the resignation of George Entwistle on 10 November 2012.

Before he took up the position of Acting Director-General, Tim was Director of BBC Audio & Music.

He was overall responsibility for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, and the BBC digital radio stations 1Xtra, 6Music, BBC 4Extra, and the Asian Network.

He also oversaw the three BBC orchestras inEngland, the BBC Singers, and the BBC Proms; classical music & performance television, factual radio and radio drama production are all within his remit, under the Audio and Music production department.

Tim was appointed to the role of Director, Audio & Music on the 1st September 2008.

He is a trustee of BBC Children in Need, board member of RAJAR and board member of Digital Radio UK.

Produced by the DPA Cross Border Transactions Subgroup of the Digital Single Market Group

The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of the Commission’s proposed review of the PSD, to assess the likely impact on a range of stakeholders, and to inform key decision-makers and officials in the European and UK parliaments of the findings.  The Paper contains a Summary with key conclusions expressing concerns about the fragmentation of approaches to proposed regulations, including the omission of e-signatures and authentication from the PSD, and a discussion of 8 proposed overarching principles against which it is suggested that the PSD should be measured.

The publication of a Commission report for the review of the PSD was projected for November 2012, but because of the close connections with related and parallel proposals, the report is now likely to be presented in April 2013.

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How technology can help manage the increasing demands for care from an ageing population

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The two Tory MPs say it is time Britain caught up with the many other countries in Europe who no longer use paper invoicing because they believe electronic trading is so much more efficient.

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The paper provides a basic understanding of what Trusted Computing is, and in particular the capacity of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to significantly enhance the security and integrity of devices, systems and networks.

The TPM has been developed by an independent standards group the “Trusted Computing Group” (TCG) and is not based on any one company’s proprietary hardware or software. CESG has been involved with the TCG for several years developing the trusted computing standards and has produced guidelines on TPM applications.

The central recommendation of this paper is that where computing devices are for use in environments where confidentiality and integrity are important business requirements – and Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs), are available within the device – they should be switched on.

Key points/developments:

• Over 600 million TPMs are deployed in end point devices (mostly laptops and desktop devices) from a variety of manufacturers, and the number is increasing daily. TPMs will appear in mobile and network devices in the near future, extending trust and bringing greater control and accountability into increasingly complex and international information infrastructures.
• TPMs are incorporated in the standard builds of many PCs, many laptops and some mobile devices at no additional cost and are available for use. TPM usage to date has not been widespread; however product manufacturers are offering options to use this functionality.
• The US DoD recently mandated that TPMs be switched on. This decision will influence international allies and industry partners, including global supply chains, to do the same.

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