Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTIONS, OUTSOURCING, AND COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS NEWS FOR LAWYERS AND SOURCING PROFESSIONALS
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced on July 8 that the guidelines issued by the European Insurance and Occupational Pension Authority (EIOPA) on outsourcing to cloud service providers are not applicable to regulated activities (in this instance, insurance and reinsurance undertakings) within the UK jurisdiction.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) recently endorsed principles for building trust in the Internet of Things (IoT), highlighting the need for a risk-based approach that (1) accounts for the various components, capabilities, users, environments, life cycles, and complexities of the IoT ecosystem, and (2) engages the corresponding stakeholders. Given the near boundless opportunities—and risks—deriving from its connectivity, a connected device should not be designed and managed in isolation.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published its draft guidelines on outsourcing to cloud service providers on June 3. Steven Maijoor, the chair of ESMA, indicated that the purpose of the guidelines is to “help firms understand and mitigate the risks that they are exposed to when outsourcing to cloud service providers.”
Contract Corner
Although many companies are already revisiting contractual provisions relating to nonperformance, like force majeure clauses, as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to wreak havoc on public health and the economy, other proactive (but less publicized) contractual measures can facilitate early discovery and mitigation of potential nonperformance.