Cloudscape IV, 23-24 February 2012, hosted at the European Commission premises in Brussels and coordinated by the SIENA initiative (FP7, e-Infrastructures), continued its successful four-year run as over 100 stakeholders from the scientific community, industry, standards organisations and policy makers gathered to explore the most discussed topics around cloud computing. In a rapidly evolving landscape, we need to place more  emphasis on the success stories of the cloud, seeking practical solutions to challenges that are not so much technical as policy related. Once key challenges have been mastered, many new and creative approaches to scientific discovery will be possible. International outreach, including the active participation of experts from Brazil, Japan and the U.S., perfectly illustrated how synergies with Europe can unlock new opportunities with competition amongst suppliers inspiring innovation.

This the post-event report gives and overview of the main outcomes and recommendations from the event.