> [2008] France has been given the green light by the European Commission for a $152 million government grant for a consortium building a European rival to U.S. internet search giant Google.
I don't think government funding to compete with private businesses works well
They also funded 2 competitors to AWS, just to make sure we own cloud computing. Two is always better than one, right, by ensuring they'll compete with each other.
Another bright idea was to let both projects be managed by large reputable French corporations that everybody trusts. With no software DNA.
How come did both fail?
Edit: One of the largest European provider today, OVH, who existed at the time and was already the leader in France was explicitly left out of both projects... Because the founder is not a guy we can trust you know, he didn't attend the best schools.
For the one still "live", details include French URL names :)
Edit: A Google Translate of the home page. Close your eyes, imagine a homepage highlighting the essence of cloud computing:
Your Numergy space
Access the administration of your virtual machines.
Secure connection
Username
Password
Forgot your password ?
Administration of your VMs
Administer your virtual machines in real time, monitor their activity, your bandwidth consumption and the use of your storage spaces.
Changing your personal information
Access the customer area and modify your personal information in just a few clicks: surname, first name, address.
Securing your data
Remember to change your password regularly to maintain an optimal level of security.
Governments that think they can innovate through consortiums. That's either ignorance or pork barrel politics. Either way it's a sad waste of tax payer money.
I don't think government funding to compete with private businesses works well
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