London, 2 August 2012 – Network operator commitment to the cloud phenomenon has reached startling new levels, with investment set to top last year’s record US$13.5 billion*.

This focus and the issues, market challenges and the potential of the cloud computing space, will all be highlighted and debated during the three day Broadband Cloud Summit as part of October’s flagship industry event, the Broadband World Forum in Amsterdam.

Almost half of the 185 operators selling cloud services today are in Europe. In the first half of 2012, European operators have already outstripped their operator peers in pace of cloud service launch – accounting for 55% of all new services brought to market*.

“Although they trail their North American and Asian peers in infrastructure investment, Europe’s network operators are strong supporters of local cloud developers whose services they actively promote to their customers,” said Camille Mendler, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media. “To secure Europe’s position in the global digital economy, the critical role of European operators as a conduit for young cloud innovators is a pivotal discussion at Broadband World Forum.”

This event holds increasing relevance for telecom operators all around the world, as cloud computing is increasingly identified as a key source of new revenue growth.

Lars-Erik Odman, the Director of Strategy for UAE operator du, commented: “We see a surge in partnerships between Middle Eastern operators and international cloud players. I’m looking forward to discussing the drivers behind this at the Broadband Cloud Summit and hearing about the experiences of our international counterparts.”

The Broadband Cloud Summit is a strategic focussed event that will provide unparalleled insight into the emerging opportunities with cloud for telcos. It will also cover key business models and considerations for their journey to the cloud, their unique position with their ability to leverage existing assets to build new cloud offerings. This includes exploring how cloud computing can present exciting new revenue opportunities and ultimately be a platform for innovation.

Executive Director of Informa Telecoms and Media, Gavin Whitechurch, said: “Cloud is having a huge impact on the way the world does business, and the introduction of the Broadband Cloud Summit to this year’s programme reflects its increasingly game-changing nature in the broadband space today. Cloud has massive potential and will drive cost-efficient innovation for telcos, enable operators to maximise their offerings and play a key role in generating new business. The Summit is the perfect platform for operators to discuss how to leverage this cloud opportunity.”

Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, KT, Sprint, du, Colt, Cisco, NEC, Verizon, Orange, Turk Telecom, Google Play, Pacnet and KDDI are among the big-name companies from around the world participating in the Broadband Cloud Summit.

The Cloud Summit is an event highlight which sits in one of the six tracks being delivered across three days at the 12th annual Broadband World Forum. Over 400 visionary speakers and panellists will take part in the programme with over 200 exhibitors showcasing revolutionary broadband technologies, applications, solutions and services.

The conference and exhibition will take place at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam on 16-18 October 2012. To view the full event programme and register for Broadband World Forum, please visit www.broadbandworldforum.com or call +44 (0) 20 7017 5506. Alternatively, keep up to date with the event on Twitter @BBWorldForum or using #BBWF.