[dba-Tech] A new Microsoft

I would like to think so but I am afraid you are right. 

The best we can ever hope for is to inconvenience anyone taking our personal data and maybe in that way limit the extent of their drag-net by exponentially increasing their costs.

In this I would not totally blame the NSA as I am well aware that every major and minor countries or business, for that matter, are falling all over each other trying document and profile us all.

Jim

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Bartow" <jbartow at winhaven.net>
To: "Discussion of Hardware and Software issues" <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Thursday, 17 April, 2014 3:02:57 PM
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] A new Microsoft

Jim, do you honestly have faith your country's government (or any for that matter) is any less able to force data from company than the U.S. government?

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lawrence
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 4:02 PM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] A new Microsoft

That is excellent.

But note that the praises of Microsoft is for their williness and signed agreement to comply with the restriction and structure put forth by the EU. The main corner post in this agreement is that Azure cloud computing will respect individual national security. Does this mean that Cloud information will remain within regional servers and not be disseminated through out Microsoft's world server system or does it mean that all the information will have high levels of encryption while within their systems?

It should be noted that the Azure infrastructure sits on top of various open applications and therefore will be no more inherently secure than any other Cloud cluster. Maybe Microsoft's front end, which is totally proprietary is more secure than their competitors. I have read no indication that is the case but I am always willing to be pleasantly surprised.

In summary; whether this rating if from a williness to comply with the Safe Harbor Agreement with the U.S. or from Microsoft's superior security, is the question. I suspect the former and find the latter very unlikely.

It should also be noted, that if Microsoft is ordered by the NSA to release all information all previous agreement would be null and void and even a public acknowledgment of compliance would be illegal. This of course asks the question, so how secure is your information with any company based out of the US?
 
Jim
       
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gustav Brock" <gustav at cactus.dk>
To: "Discussion of Hardware and Software issues" <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Thursday, 17 April, 2014 10:44:33 AM
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] A new Microsoft

Hi Jim

That depends what you mean by platform. Regarding the cloud, a major milestone was met some days ago when Azure as the first and only cloud service was approved by the European Union for handling confident data to the highest standards:

http://www.microsoft.com/eu/on-the-issues/article/Privacy_authorities_across_Europe_approve_Microsoft_cloud_commitments.aspx

This I expected would have taken many more years to accomplish. But not so. It seriously sets the competition behind for a while and ceases any reasonable doubt that cloud storage and computing somehow should be unsafe. 

How Microsoft has managed to get this fixed and what resources must have been spent to achieve this, one can only guess. But it has changed the options for cloud computing for authorities and enterprises completely. Thus, Azure is no longer just another cloud platform but "the cloud platform".

In a tiny corner of Azure, I enjoy OneDrive and Office 365. Minutes after I have taken a Photo on my Lumia, it is ready in OneDrive on my desktops and Surface; and vice versa. Same for documents. Without clicking anything. Gone are copying or syncing, it works really well. 

/gustav

________________________________________
Fra: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com <dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com> på vegne af Jim Lawrence <accessd at shaw.ca>
Sendt: 17. april 2014 19:03
Til: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Emne: [dba-Tech] A new Microsoft

The 2014 Microsoft Build conference is over and Microsoft is moving forward.

After hearing from a podcast, in which it noted, that the new Microsoft is changing and changing fast. In the conference, many of the keynote speeches were discussing cross-platform compatibility, how to incorporate other software within Windows, how to utilize other OS platforms and integrate them. It seems that this is the year of the big change, the change driven by the reality that Microsoft is no longer "the platform" but just another platform.

All I can say it is refreshing and it is about time.

To listen to various speeches and sessions check out the following link: http://www.buildwindows.com

Jim
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