About us

Leading and championing the cloud evolution

Driving digital transformation

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) is a not-for-profit membership driven trade body established in 2009 as a direct response to the evolving supply models for the delivery of cloud based software and IT services.

Our Mission

The Cloud Industry Forum champions and advocates the adoption and use of Cloud-based services by businesses, aiming to educate and inform end user businesses and represent cloud providers, consultancies and resellers.  As the market continues to mature, CIF represents the digital community by bringing both cloud and business leaders together to shape the world of Digital Transformation.  

Cloud industry forum

In Action

We play a hands on role in the cloud industry evolution - from primary research in our popular Cloud Industry Reports through to bringing stakeholders in the cloud ecosystem together.

Commission research and analysis

We analyse cloud industry market trends and services. These insights are included in our industry renowned Cloud Industry Reports. Our primary research is widely reported in the IT industry press and our members gain early access to this data and can promote the report to their member base

Keynote speakers at industry events

Our team are regulars on the Cloud Industry speaker circuit.  Whether this is at an industry event or a seminar presented by one of our members. Our CEO, David Terrar hosts the popular BrightTalk Digital Transformation in Action series

Bringing the cloud eco-system together

We are at the core of the cloud eco-system – bringing all the stakeholders together whether they are cloud solution providers, cloud distributors, SaaS start ups and supporting professional services such as legal and finance. These are through our monthly member meetings and our Special Interest Groups.

Amplifying industry news

We are the voice of the cloud industry – our weekly industry newsletters are sent to thousands of recipients and we are active on professional social media channels such as LinkedIn.

who we are

Meet the team

Today, as the market has matured, the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), as an industry body, champions and advocates the adoption and use of Cloud-based services by businesses. CIF aims to educate and inform end user businesses and represent cloud providers, consultancies and resellers.

David Terrar

CIF CEO

Ian Jeffs

Chairman

RICHARD MERRIN

Research and Press

Steph Macleod

Press Relations

And

Cloud Industry Forum

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) was launched in 2009 by The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST), a not-for-profit organisation with the vision to defend the intellectual property rights of software publishers. Together, we are one company with a board of directors that supports both organisations, with two separate but connected brand identities.

See the FAST website to find out about their membership and activities against software theft and IP infringement.

Testimonials

David Terrar

CIF CEO

David is CEO of the Cloud Industry Forum, a not-for-profit trade body that champions and helps accelerate the adoption of cloud technology and services. He is a well known strategist, keynote speaker and influencer on business transformation using cloud, digital, social, mobile, collaboration and ERP technologies.  Specialising in sales, marketing and operations, he’s helped organisations grow, change culture, change leadership and business models to reinvent their approach and processes.  He spent 9 years at IBM followed by senior management and director roles at Interactive, CSI, Cyberaid, Brook Street Computers, DataWorks, Indus and CODA before starting his own consulting businesses.  David has 40 years of technology experience in retail, manufacturing, distribution, finance, legal, accounting and public sectors in both UK and EMEA.  David is a regular speaker, chair and moderator at events like CeBIT, Cloud Computing World Forum, Cloud Expo Europe, Enterprise Digital Summit and CIO Transformation Live. For Cloud Industry Forum he hosts a weekly interview video podcast called TWF!, and a monthly BrightTALK panel show called Digital Transformation in Action. He has lectured on digital at Henley Business School, and the MBA course at INSEEC.  A regular awards judge, he is passionate about helping organisations navigate the shift to digital so they can do more with less. 

Richard Merrin

Press Relations

Public relations professional with 25 plus years’ experience in the field of enterprise IT, business to business and reputation management. Richard is heavily involved in the IT industry bodies such as the Cloud Industry Forum, as well as an active member of the Guild of Communications in the City of London.

With pan-European and wider global experience he is expert in helping companies enter the UK market – he is a Board member of the international PR network GlobalCom.

Richard has experience ranging from start-ups to mid-tier private sector enterprises as well as private equity backed turnarounds, AIM listed and FTSE 250 corporates.