The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has called on the world's major economies to harmonize their data management legislation.
According to the group, data laws do not need to be identical in each country in order to create a global cloud computing market.
However, the BSA said they do at least need to be compatible with each other, particularly when it comes to privacy and security issues.
Robert Holleyman, chief executive of the organization, stated that they should also encourage global commerce while promoting "good data stewardship".
"Right now, too many countries have too many different rules standing in the way of the kind of trade in digital services we really need," he commented.
Disparities between established and emerging economies were highlighted as a particular problem, as countries such as the US and Japan have put firm procedures in place to encourage expansion in the cloud computing market, whereas Brazil, China and India have not done so as yet.
This comes as policymakers in the European Union discuss tightening up data protection laws for member states.
Posted by Paul Newton