However, Canada is taking a “cautious approach” on the public cloud, said Danek, CTO of Public Works Government Services Canada (PWGSC), a department of the Government of Canada.

“We have to get our house in order first. Security and privacy are significant concerns. The Community Cloud gives us a viable, sustainable environment in which we can test concepts and the security framework before we go further.”

Danek said that two important goals had been met: agreeing on a common language for cloud computing, and setting the governance framework. But there is a way to go before sufficient trust is built between government and other cloud participants, he said.

It was too early to say how much the Canadian government could make in cost savings from cloud computing, he said, adding that saving money was only one of four motivations for entering the cloud.

“Our four drivers for entering the cloud are economic, efficiency, effectiveness - and green,” said Danek.

Canada is working with the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand on “sharing the workload of advancing the cloud,” he noted.