Now is a good time to take stock of Internet Governance discussions: it is only a few weeks since ITU’s now-famed World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) concluded in Dubai, and the U.S. House of Representatives is discussing an “Internet Governance Bill” which proposes to make it the “policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government...

Exactly 10 years ago, the pan-European Game Information (or PEGI) system was founded, harmonising the age classification of video games in more than 30 countries. Over the last decade, the system has provided consumers with age ratings for more than 20.000 games for the well-known game consoles, the pc platform and handheld gaming devices. The institutions of the European Union fully support the project,...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about Microsoft’s new consumer privacy campaign and a quiz we developed – Your Privacy Type (YPT) – for consumers to gauge where they fall on the privacy continuum. Thus far, the campaign and the YPT quiz have generated discussion and positive reactions in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Germany. We’re also seeing strong engagement with consumers...

We are organizing the second edition of Microsoft’s EU Cybersecurity Forum, which will take place on 6 June 2013 in Brussels. This full day Forum will once again feature a number of high profile speakers and cybersecurity experts from EU institutions and Member States, OECD, the US and industry. The Forum will focus on network and information security, which has...

Online intermediaries contribute more than €430 billion to European economy in 2012; Digital Single Market key to continued growth. The  European Digital Media Association (EDiMA) presented European Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier with a new Copenhagen Economics study which shows that Europe’s online economy is growing at more than 10% per annum, substantially faster than...

Unleashing the potential of a data-driven economy will require policies that enable data to flow and be exchanged freely across geopolitical boundaries, while minimizing risks and harms to enterprises and individuals globally. This is a difficult balance that requires local, national, and regional governments to agree on which data can be shared, how they can be used, who should have access, and which...

In recent years, cloud computing has captured much of policy makers’ attention. With its massive datacenters, the Internet cloud delivers virtually infinite resources, providing the storage capacity to orchestrate massive flow of information and, most importantly, providing an elasticity of computing resources that cuts costs  for businesses and government alike. 

In recent years, cloud computing has evolved from an amazing innovation with lots of potential into an asset that we can increasingly no longer live without, both on a business and a personal basis,  catalyst of innovation and of economic growth.

The EU and, before that, the European Community, have been talking since the 1960s about the possibility of a single patent that covers its whole territory.  As it stands now, only one aspect of getting a patent here is centralised: You can go to the European Patent Office and have your application examined one time rather than in multiple countries.

We released our 2012 Law Enforcement Requests Report. This is our first Law Enforcement Requests Report. It provides data on the number of requests we received from law enforcement agencies around the world relating to Microsoft online and cloud services and how we responded to those requests. 

Early February, European Commission Vice-President Kroes set-out the Commission’s digital priorities for 2013-14, a package of 7 actions around the regulatory environment for broadband, with the headline Digital Agenda target of ‘100 MBps for every European’ in mind. And that includes efforts ranging from rules on wholesale broadband and engineering costs, to universal...

As online meanness and cruelty continue to garner global attention, parents, educators, and school officials grow hungrier for new information and guidance.  All are looking to formulate and implement strategies and policies that will help protect young people both online and off.  A recent report from more than a dozen leading academics from 11 countries offers additional considerations...

Ireland has sometimes been seen in Europe as a land of writers and imagination. Irish writers such as Flann O’Brien have been known to use scientific and technological subject matters to fantasical and humourous effect or in the case of James Joyce’s work have inspired the names for previously unimagined sub-atomic particles. The advent of Ireland’s six month Presidency of the Council of...

On December 3, 2012 the European Commission (EC) announced a proposed directive on web accessibility.  Just 3 days later, Microsoft joined with the European Disability Forum (EDF) to co-host a discussion in Brussels about how industry, government, and civil society can collectively start making real progress towards a more accessible web.

This morning, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have adopted a Communication on Cyber Security and a complementary proposal for a Directive on measures to ensure a high common level of cyber security across the EU. 

Safer Internet Day is organised each year to promote a safer and more responsible use of online technology. Microsoft supports safer internet day and on the tenth anniversary of its inception we are pleased to help to promote internet safety education and responsible online behavior under this year’s theme, "Connect with Respect."

It’s no surprise that kids today are growing up online.  They use mobile devices to do their homework, play games, connect with friends, and access the wealth of information available on the Web.  Technology gives children access to a host of positive, educational and growth experiences; yet, parents face challenges when they look to monitor what children see online, the people they meet and...

Landing at Zaventem airport during a snow storm last week, I suddenly felt as though the Euro crisis had taken physical form. Europe seemed stuck in a permanent winter since 2008 with no warmth in sight. Worse still, it seemed as though some of the EU’s politicians were busy perfecting ice-maker policies rather than helping to fix the central heating. 

It’s an important time for privacy in Europe and globally, and I want to share few of my insights from recent events in Brussels we organized around Privacy and the revision of the EU Data Protection Directive.

The Commission has been consulting this year on what might be done to reduce the availability of illegal content online short of reopening the eCommerce Directive. They have focused on improvements to what they term “Notice and Action” (N&A) – typically called “Notice and Takedown” in industry circles — whereby internet services receive and take action on information...

When you think about the Nordic countries, a couple of images probably pop into your head: breathtaking landscapes, Northern Lights, and tall blonde women. But there is also another association that we ought to make with the Nordics: cutting edge IT, successful enterprises and people everywhere using advanced technology as part of their everyday lives – both professional and private. These countries...

The children of today are citizens of a digital era. Children now have the opportunity to learn in both fun and interactive ways. They can explore and develop their passions in a manner that not long ago would have been either unaffordable or simply unavailable.

Microsoft has a longstanding commitment to privacy, and works hard to earn the trust of customers around the world by, in part, developing and adopting meaningful privacy practices. To this end we have been facilitating @Microsoft Conversations on Privacy in Washington, D.C. for over a year, on each occasion bringing together a diverse mix of stakeholders to explore some of the most pressing issues related...

I have written about the threat landscape in the European Union (EU) before, focused on the first and second half of 2011.

October 15-21 marks SME Week in the European Union!  This is a time for the EU to recognise, promote and help small and medium-sized businesses, which are so important for Europe’s innovation, competitiveness, jobs and overall welfare.

The European Central Bank’s proposal to buy unlimited amounts of crisis-hit government bonds has provided a glimmer of light through the shadows of the financial downturn. In the long term however, it’s clear that Europe must re-engineer its economy to achieve sustainable economic growth and abate record-high unemployment levels, especially among young people.

As always on our website, we try and bring you a wide variety of opinion pieces from external specialists on our key topics . One such topic is Intellectual Property (IP) protection, which we consider as a very important driver of innovation and growth in the digital economy.

The Net Neutrality discussion has always been emotive on both sides (Internet providers & users, and Telecoms). However, the discussion has now matured.

Late June several hundred academics, entrepreneurs, regulators, politicians, civil society and other ‘digital enthusiasts’ met in Brussels for the second annual Digital Agenda Assembly, led by the European Commission.

Recently I wrote a three part series of articles (part 1, part 2, part 3) on the evolving threat landscape in the European Union. 

In the first two parts of this three part series I focused on the locations in the European Union (EU) that had the highest malware infection rates and/or saw the highest increases in malware infection rates in the second half of 2011.  

On 25 January 2012, the European Commission unveiled a comprehensive proposal to modernize its 17-year-old data protection regime. Given the vast technological and societal changes that have occurred since Directive 95/46 went into effect, this is a vitally important effort, and the stakes are high.

In part 1 of this series on the threat landscape in the European Union in the second half of 2011, I examined the threats in the location with the highest malware infection rate, Romania.

This week privacy authorities from all 27 European Union member states adopted a long-awaited Opinion clarifying what companies must do to safeguard the private information of Europe’s citizens when these companies use cloud services. Known as the Article 29 Working Party, the Opinion from these experts is essential reading for every business considering moving to the cloud.

Recently I spoke at the Microsoft EU Cybersecurity & Digital Crimes Forum 2012 in Brussels.  I provided an in-depth briefing on some of the significant shifts in threat landscape in the EU during the second half of 2011.  I will be sharing some of the key findings of this analysis in a short series of articles.

Where Europe succeeds, we succeed Europe matters to us. For the past thirty years, it’s been our aim to help fuel the European economy with the programs, partnerships, products and services we deliver, through ourselves and others. Our investment has reaped significant return for thousands of new and existing businesses across the continent. This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of...

It’s often said that knowledge is power, and in the face of a societal problem like the spread of malicious software, sharing knowledge empowers people to act in their own defense.

At last year’s Online Tracking Protection & Browsers workshop in Brussels, Vice President Kroes said  “we should collectively pay more attention to the emerging 'do-not-track' technologies – or DNT for short.” 

Where Europe succeeds, we succeed Europe matters to us. For the past thirty years, it’s been our aim to help fuel the European economy with the programs, partnerships, products and services we deliver, through ourselves and others. Our investment has reaped significant return for thousands of new and existing businesses across the continent.

Check the full agenda of the event here. The EU Cybersecurity and Digital Crimes Forum was a full day conference on cyber and internet security addressing European policy makers and national security and digital crime specialists.

Where Europe succeeds, we succeed Europe matters to us. For the past thirty years, it’s been our aim to help fuel the European economy with the programs, partnerships, products and services we deliver, through ourselves and others. Our investment has reaped significant return for thousands of new and existing businesses across the continent.

There has been a lot of talk in the press and in the halls of government recently about copyright: why we have it, how it is working, and whether it needs to be changed.

The Commission recently launched a new strategy for a safer internet and better internet content for children and teenagers.  This new strategy seeks to accomplish a few objectives.

For several weeks now, internet users visiting MSN sites in EEA countries will have seen a small “AdChoices” icon next to online adverts appearing on the sites.

On March 27, I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Summit of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) in Brussels. I was greeted by over 100 IAMCP partners who had come together to position innovative SMEs at the centre of Europe's economic recovery.

An exciting new initiative got underway in Europe yesterday called “Ideas Matter”.

Some months back I wrote an article on cyber-threats in the European Union. This article was based on data from the 11th volume of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.

Faced with economic malaise, Europe needs to fully harness all of its natural resources. One vital and valuable resource that remains underused is TV-band and other spectrum.

Looking back at his three-year term as chairman of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), Martin Schuurmans has mixed feelings.

One problem, one solution, right? If I use some metaphors in my consulting work over and again, it’s because they work.

The use of the Internet, PCs, smart phones and tablets have become an indispensable part of how we study, work and interact with friends, and family. Unfortunately, technology has become an indispensable tool for criminals as well.

We have entered a new era in computing, one in which users are utilizing computing power that they do not own directly and which is located somewhere else, in “the cloud”.

It was in December last year that Microsoft became a part of Vice President Kroes’ initiative to make the Internet a safer place for children. Together with 27 other companies in the ICT sector, from hardware manufacturers to providers of content we committed to work on 5 areas, namely report abuse, privacy settings, content classification, parental controls and take down of sexual child abuse.

On 25 January 2012, the European Commission announced a proposed General Data Protection Regulation.  The Commission’s proposal introduces sweeping reforms designed to modernise Europe’s 17-year-old data protection regime. Microsoft welcomes steps to strengthen and harmonise the data protection regime.

More protection for EU citizens, but organizational costs for enterprises, with sanctions determined at the EU level – that, in a nutshell, is the EU Commission’s proposal for General Data Protection Regulation.

The roundtable discussion revolved around exploring the impact of cloud computing on the European economy and examine the challenges of the existing legislative frameworks.

Microsoft has been closely involved in the incubation and activity of SIENA and its preceding projects.  As the EC funded Venus-C project and our other cloud research engagement collaborations around the world approach the end of their second year, we have taken stock of the lessons we have learned and we chose to share our most interesting findings with the Cloudscape community.

When Europeans use cloud computing services, they are connecting to large data centres for the computing power they need.  When they want more cloud services, they need more computing power capacity in those data centres.

It’s an exciting time to be part of the rapidly changing technology environment. Just think of the changes in the tech sector over recent years. High speed broadband and mobile wireless are growing with the corresponding massive increase in internet users.

As efforts continue worldwide to improve digital inclusion, online safety has never been more important.

At the recent Fuelling the European Economy event, Vice-President Kroes reiterated her belief that the flexibility and efficiency of cloud computing will ‘change our economies’, and she is determined to help resolve barriers to adoption to help Europe become ‘cloud-active’.

The internet really started to ‘take off’ for businesses and consumers to use about 20 years ago.  Quite a bit of regulation has changed since that time to make internet ‘e-commerce’ easier, cheaper and safer.

A big question for governments and business at the moment, and indeed for users of the internet all over the world, is how personal data – a person’s identity, personal materials, financial or sensitive information – can be protected in a workable and effective way.

In the last ten years Microsoft has invested heavily in user privacy. Just like security, privacy considerations are baked into every Microsoft product.

In November 2008, the French magazine Le Tigre published "Marc L.," a portrait of a 29-year-old who worked for an architecture firm near Bordeaux. The author had never met his subject but needed only a few minutes of Web searching to discover a large number of personal details, right down to his girlfriend’s name, her parents’ address, and what he did on his last vacation.

The European Commission has recently finished consulting on a series of questions that probably many of us have asked – how can we get more films, television broadcasts and other similar content (legally, of course!) over the internet on our computers, mobile phones, and tablet devices?

Earlier this year, the European Commission adopted a wide-ranging strategy on IPRs. This strategy sets out a blueprint for a number of initiatives the Commission intends to launch between now and 2012 in various areas, including patents, trade marks, geographical indications, copyright licensing and digital libraries.

The event “Cloud Computing: Leading to growth and jobs creation in Central and Eastern Europe” will take place in Brussels on the 6th of December 2011. It is organized by MEP Rafal TRZASKOWSKI – member of the EPP Group, in partnership with Microsoft Poland – an official partner of Polish EU Presidency.

Today, Commissioner Neelie Kroes announced the CEO Coalition on Child Online Safety. Microsoft is pleased to be a founding member of this coalition.

Few would deny the transformative impact the digital economy has had on business and world affairs in the past fifteen years. In the mid-1990s, a majority of people had not heard of the internet; online streaming (let alone DVDs) were not yet invented; software was still distributed on 3.5 inch floppy disks that were neither floppy or round, while today, everything from content to operating systems is...

Microsoft’s innovation’s magazine FUTURES released an interview with ROBERT MADELIN, Director-general for Information Society and Media at the European Commission.

Visit a website, get a cookie. You can’t see it, but it is a small file that is installed on your computer whenever you browse a travel site, buy books online or search for a new refrigerator. The cookie remembers you, allowing the site to store information about you and your preferences – and making you a better advertising target.

I recently visited Brussels, where the European Union has its main base of operations.  I had the opportunity to talk to numerous people there about the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report containing data and insights on the cyber-threats Microsoft has observed specifically in the EU.

This week in Luxembourg, the European Commission is hosting its 7th annual Safer Internet Forum, bringing together representatives of industry, law enforcement, child welfare organizations, and policymakers to discuss the most pressing issues involved in ensuring digital safety for European citizens.

How can we make our economies succeed, provide jobs and build for the future?  These are the big questions on government leaders’ minds this year – not to mention those of business and of people everywhere.

Hosted by Microsoft and the Fraunhofer Research Institute, the roundtable helped identify the main elements of the upcoming European Cloud Strategy and how this will affect European companies, government institutions and citizens.

Connected to the Internet, the PC and mobile devices have created enormous opportunities for people of all ages to enhance the way they work, learn, play and communicate.

There is a lot going on right now in the area of ‘cybersecurity’ – improving the security of the internet and dealing with cyberattacks on computers. The US has recently published its cybersecurity strategy, and European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes just reinforced the EU’s commitments in this area at the opening session of the Internet Governance Forum in...

IP benefits innovation, companies and society. The copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret and other protection for ‘intellectual property’ (IP) is fundamental for promoting innovation in the many different fields of technology and creativity.  Giving creators, inventors and other developers the legal rights in their IP rewards them for their innovation, and provides a virtuous circle of...

More than 100 million people in Western Europe will buy a smartphone this year. Within minutes of opening the package they will be setting up connections to mail servers, downloading third-party applications and synchronising music and games with their existing online life.

The rapid growth of cloud computing offers tremendous opportunities for efficiency, cost savings and innovation, all ultimately benefiting the European economy. In connection with the Digital Agenda, Vice-President Kroes has launched a public consultation to help shape a strategy to ensure we make the best use of the potential for cloud computing in the EU.

Standards are an important part of a dynamic ICT marketplace, fostering interoperability, collaboration, competition and consumer trust.

Cloud computing is the crest of the wave of new and better computing possibilities – giving more efficient and cost-effective ways to run small and large organizations, and providing new applications and flexibility for individual and corporate users.  As you may have seen our CEO Steve Ballmer say, “Microsoft is ‘all in’ for the Cloud”. 

I’m Craig Shank, and I work in Microsoft’s Interoperability Group. I’m excited to join in sharing our thoughts on some of the key collaborations needed to make products and services work together across the ICT marketplace

Scammers are getting more clever. But software companies and policymakers are becoming smarter too.

Public 360° is a leading application suite for integrated Case, Document & Records Management designed specifically for public administrations.

Governments across Europe increasingly recognize the benefits of making their non-sensitive and non-personal data open and reusable. The topic was outlined in many discussions at the EU Digital Agenda Assembly a few weeks ago. Indeed better access to public sector information based on open data can improve quality of life and facilitate interfacing with governments.

Continuing my cloud conversation with Microsoft International’s president Jean-Philippe Courtois, we now talk about the ongoing availability of cloud technologies for citizens.

Several of the EU’s biggest tech and media companies join together to explore use of TV white spaces spectrum to help meet the fast rising demand for broadband and therefore meet Europe 2020 targets for broadband coverage.

As those of you following policy issues in Europe are aware, data protection and online privacy are hot topics in Brussels at the moment.  In fact, these are getting a lot of attention from governments, companies and consumers all over the EU.  At the forefront of the discussion is the upcoming publication of the Commission’s proposal to update EU data protection rules, which should appear...

While the web, blogs and social networks have given users more freedom to express themselves, a substantial amount of political or otherwise motivated discourse has moved into the digital realm. Where controversial or contested content is at stake, companies in the ICT sector and policymakers face increasing challenges to respond. We all agree on the right to free expression in principle, and recognize that...

Last week Open Source Business Conference (OSBC) did take place in San Francisco. Microsoft announced that, with immediate effect, it will support Windows Server2008 R2 Hyper-V running CentOS, a popular Linux distribution for hosters. This was the number one requirement for interoperability that we heard from that community.

Spurred by pressing questions about Internet security and fundamental rights, our second digital values event “Securely Connected” brought together key stakeholders from EU institutions, industry and NGOs to discuss the security challenges consumers face in an increasingly connected world

You might imagine that counterfeiting and piracy were a thing of the past, particularly in the EU, but sadly this is not the case for most industries, including the technology and software sectors.  For business software alone, the software piracy rate in western Europe stands at about 34%, one in three copies of business software in use in Europe is counterfeit or pirated. 

The successful future of online advertising depends on the trust of consumers, which in turn depends on transparency. Yesterday Microsoft along with other industry players signed the IAB Europe led Online Behavioural Advertising Framework (OBA), a piece of self-regulation that will help users understand and control behavioural advertising that they receive.

As you may know, the EU is reviewing its data protection laws, and recently I participated in a hearing hosted by the European Parliament’s EPP group on one of the many important questions being looked at: “Who pays for Data Protection?”

On 13th April, Microsoft is hosting a roundtable event to discuss recent developments in spectrum policy and their impact on the ICT industry.

Microsoft is filing a formal complaint with the European Commission as part of the Commission’s ongoing investigation into whether Google has violated European competition law. We thought it important to be transparent and provide some information on what we’re doing and why.

New technologies become interwoven with our everyday lives and our relationship with gadgets is constantly evolving. Do the current terms and concepts of consumer protection remain valid in the digital age? What are the new vulnerabilities and do we need to re-learn consumer protection?

On the topic of cloud computing, Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, put a stake in the ground recently at the World Economic Forum, saying that she wanted Europe not simply to be cloud-friendly but also to be cloud-active. I was pleased to see her emphasis on several legal, technical and commercial issues that are most relevant to a...

Microsoft Poland became an official Partner of the up-coming Polish Presidency of the European Union while Microsoft’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal & Corporate Affairs, Brad Smith was visiting Warsaw in late January 2011. Brad formalized the partnership during a meeting with Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and Secretary of State Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, who is responsible for...

Over the last couple of decades, computing and the array of human interactions it facilitates have played a massive role in changing the way we live. Wikileaks and the civilian revolution in Egypt are two globally visible examples, but computing, now interwoven with almost every aspect of our lives, also affects us on very private levels. Companies across the ICT sector are increasingly intermediary to our...

The protection of one’s personal information continues to garner attention as online services become increasing popular, whether it be social networking, communications via smartphone, or other aspects of cloud computing.

The online world allows for people to be more connected than ever before. On the other hand, increasing connectivity intensifies the security risks.

On Safer Internet Day 2011 I spent a few hours at my daughter’s school talking to a class of 10 year olds, as part of our employee engagement program on child online safety.

Microsoft supports Safer Internet Day, a global campaign promoting a healthy Internet for all. Organized by Insafe and co-founded by the European Union, Safer Internet Day promotes more responsible use of online technologies and services.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President, yesterday gave an interesting speech at the French Assemblée Nationale in Paris. Brad talked about the trends and possibilities of cloud computing, and what needs to be done in the way of better laws and improved industry and government cooperation to get ready for this technological shift. Microsoft also released...

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal & Corporate Affairs, talks to France’s Assemblée Nationale about the opportunities that cloud computing represents for the European Union.

Just how strong is trust in a modern society? The more we depend on technologies to carry out or mediate our everyday activities, the more we need to make sure that we trust them to do so. How do you inspire user trust without any face-to-face contact? Do we need trustmarks or rather trust user experience?

One of the Commission’s long-time dreams, according to the recent Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, has been an EU “single market” where people can trade without barriers between all of its Member States. The digital revolution that launched buying, selling and services online is helping this...

Microsoft’s announcement this week of new privacy-enhancing technologies in our upcoming Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) browser is our latest move towards giving users simple, clear options for controlling how their information is used on the internet.

Cybercrime is a serious matter. The ability to protect and secure citizens and enable them to trust the Internet are however critical elements for economic development. In striving to reach this aim we must ask many tough questions; what should government and industry be doing to secure the IT infrastructure? How much should we invest and how? And should any investment be in technology, infrastructure or...

Cloud computing may indeed become one of the backbones of our digital future”, stated Vice-President Kroes in a speech on "Cloud computing and data protection". While discussing the potential opportunity that cloud computing represents, and that “the free movement of personal data within the EU is another way to help to complete the Digital Single Market in Europe”, she emphasized...

Growth has been the watchword at the Government Leaders Forum (GLF) in London. It’s an event that brings together some of the region’s most influential public sector figures under one roof, in an effort to find new ways to drive sustainable economic growth in Europe.

For some, the talk of cloud computing produces more haze than light, and there is no doubt: we all need to see the deeper analysis of the economics of the cloud in order to make decisions about information technology strategies.  I work with public administrations across Europe, and see that the interest level in cloud computing is high, but there is also widespread desire for better understanding of...

This Microsoft-hosted workshop will examine how the use of new technologies, especially cloud computing can ease the path toward e-Health. The workshop will gather together important leaders in the European Medical Community as well as Health organizations involved in innovative telemedicine projects. It is being held on November 11/12 in the Microsoft Executive Briefing Centre in Brussels.

This Microsoft-hosted workshop will examine how the use of new technologies, especially Cloud Computing can ease the path toward e-Health. The workshop will gather together important leaders in the European Medical Community as well as Health organizations involved in innovative telemedicine projects. It is being held on November 11/12 in the Microsoft Executive Briefing Centre in Brussels.

I have a job within Microsoft that focuses on interoperability, working with other companies to make sure our products work well together. This is part of the company’s commitment to customers, and we understand that enabling choices creates more opportunities for our customers, partners and developers, and that also will make us more successful as a company in the future.   

The fact is, the world has changed. People are using more and more digital technologies, and the devices and software they use come from a wide variety of sources.

What Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn released today should not be seen as business as usual to innovation in Europe, but exactly the opposite. The new flagship of the Europe 2020 strategy is a strong signal by the Commission to challenge the way research and development (R&D) is done  and an injection of new excitement to put us in Europe on the global and competitive stage.  

Consumers are at the heart of the EU Digital Agenda, and for very good reason. It is the consumerization of ICT that plays an icreasing role in incentivizing innovation in the ICT sector. We will see measure and initiatives that aim at improving transparency of online rights and increasing trust over the next years. Technology can play an important part in supporting these goals.

ICT policy in the EU has been promoting openness for a long time, most recently with the Digital Agenda, and more of industry is lining up with these policies.  This is a very positive thing and Interoperability will remain a key objective in ICT policymaking for a long time, as policy makers examine both the prospect of new technologies relating to cloud computing as well as the legacy of a variety of...

Last week I joined John Vassallo, Microsoft’s VP for EU Legal and Corporate Affairs, for an interview with Teri Schulz of Deutsche Welle radio. In this short piece John discusses the economic opportunity of cloud computing and some of the associated issues that industry policy makers are currently looking into.

Interoperability – the ability of different IT systems and services to work together – continues to be an important objective not only for the regulators, but for the industry. This important feature of technology enables users to control their data and allows them to work with products and services from different vendors. As interest in Cloud Computing grows, users are discovering the...

What does the cloud mean for the future production, distribution and consumption of audiovisual services? Does it mean the end of location-based production; lower production values and more user generated content displacing high value material? How can content be made secure and monetised? Is the cloud the answer to pan-EU content availability? Will the cloud overshadow broadcast TV or provide a flash...

The potential economic gains from cloud computing are greatest when users and suppliers enjoy a large-scale, borderless market - such as the one envisioned in the Single Market initiative. However, in Europe today some barriers limiting the flow of data in the cloud still persists, thus affecting both the productivity gains for users and the number of commercial opportunities for smaller EU companies...

In a packed auditorium at the European Parliament, the Commissioner for the EU Internal Market (DG Markt) Michel Barnier and European Parliament members Edit Herczog, Bill Newton Dunn and Andreas Schwab hosted a prize giving for the “Real Fake” schools competitions, followed by an exhibition.

In May, our Vice President for European Affairs John Vassallo wrote about the newly announced EU Digital Agenda program, which followed on from the call in the EU Ministers’ their April “Granada Declaration” to use information and communication technology (ICT) more effectively to help address Europe’s priorities. The actions that the Commission will be pursuing in the Digital...

 It’s a type of Rorschach inkblot test: two people could look at the EC’s Communication on the Digital Agenda for Europe and see interesting variations.

A few months ago I authored a post that sets the context for some of the privacy discussion that’s currently happening, and how we think about privacy in Windows Live.

Chances are you already have a reputation online, even if you don't want one. On Web sites across the Internet, people can find information about you.

 Bullies are notorious for tormenting their victims face to face—at school, on the playground, in sports.  

Social networking Web sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live Spaces are services people can use to connect with others to share information like photos, videos, and personal messages.  As the popularity of these social sites grows, so do the risks of using them. Hackers, spammers, virus writers, identity thieves, and other criminals follow the traffic. Read these tips to help protect...

As our use of the Internet and related technologies evolves, so do our privacy needs and concerns – and possibly too the need to adapt the legal framework.   

Microsoft welcomes the “Digital Agenda for Europe” as a bold roadmap for action. We share the European Commission’s view that technology is an enabler for economic growth, job creation, sustainability and social inclusion. As a company, we are fully committed to working with the European Commission and governments to realize the potential of Europe's digital future.

In the past few weeks, a set of remarkable documents have been released, all addressing the fight against cybercrime. They all miss one important thing though: Love. 

  ICT interoperability is a fundamental challenge for our industry.

One aspect of government we thoroughly dislike here in the UK is useless and inefficient bureaucracy. 

Microsoft strongly supports the efforts of the European Commission and governments across Europe to build smart, sustainable and inclusive growth outlined in the Europe 2020 strategy.

“I believe in horses….The automobile is a transient phenomenon”.

Last week, Commissioner Reding re-stated her desire to reform and modernize the EU’s Data Protection Framework Directive (95/46/EC).

Recently I caught up with Child Focus, a NGO in Belgium with whom Microsoft has been partnering for several years to support their mission of protecting children online.

With the uptake of cloud computing and web3.0 (web2.0 + mobility), consumers will have more access to information than ever before. But what are effective ways to optimize the information they get – and distill the information they need? How to process data meritoriously?

The age of ‘cloud computing’ is dawning, which will allow our data, software and computing power to be on our desktop and extended online as and when needed. This will provide many new opportunities for businesses and other organisations to manage large amounts of data and activities securely, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Hear me talking about the Eye on Earth online tool. This website shows data from thousands of air and water quality stations from across Europe in real-time. (By the way, I say 60,000 stations in the video but I was told I got a little ahead of myself - it's actually 6,000!).

In Europe and elsewhere, computing is experiencing a powerful transformation. Driven by continuous innovations in software, hardware and the Internet, traditional models of computing are gradually shifting.   

Roger Halbheer is one of the leading online security experts in Europe. We’re delighted to have him in our ranks – he is Chief Security Advisor of Microsoft EMEA – and to point you to his blog, Roger's Security Blog, which he updates at least once a week.

  On Thursday 4th February in Abuja, Nigeria, a gathering of pop and rap musicians, led by producer and world renowned song writer Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo released “Maga No Need Pay” an amazing song which discourages the youth from engaging in cybercrime. Associate General Counsel Tim Cranton, head of the Digital Crimes Unit at Microsoft Corp, blogged on this launch -  read his post.

Safer Internet Day is all about creating awareness to help protect young people online.  

Microsoft across the Central and Eastern European region has been marking Safer Internet Day for a number of years.

Safer Internet Day, organised by Insafe, will be celebrated on 9 February 2010 in more than 50 countries across the world and will this year focus on the theme “Think before you post!”

To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2010 and for the second year in a row, Microsoft subsidiaries across Europe are organizing employee volunteering activities to educate children, teachers and parents on how to make the best of the internet, and avoid the risks. Through local partnerships with NGOs, schools, customers and partners, around 650 Microsoft employees in 24 subsidiaries throughout Europe will train...

Last week turned into a seriously busy week as the Council of Europe and the European Commission celebrated the 4th Data Protection Day. We (Microsoft) were there too,   because we are deeply committed to engage on this important issue.   Sophie in’t Veld MEP, Commissioner Reding, Bruno Waterfield (moderator) Daily Telegraph, Peter Hustinx, EDPS, Alexander Alvaro MEP   Data...

Short presentation of the selected videos for the Think Privacy competition ran by European Schoolnet and supported by Microsoft.The event took place on January 28, 2010 at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Cloud computing is hitting the headlines, and for good reason: it is providing business and consumers with a vast array of new services. In addition, it is making computing more cost-effective, allowing businesses to do more with less. This is especially relevant to SMEs, which in the past often suffered under the strain of IT costs but can now scale without having to wonder how they can afford to make the...

As I had announced on the weekend, yesterday I was lucky to accompany Microsoft’s General Counsel, Brad Smith, to a presentation he gave on the company’s vision on Cloud Computing (find a nice summary by my colleague Steve Clayton here, or just have a look at the speech yourself).

Over the past months there has been a remarkable upraise in discussions around the topic of Cloud Computing (or Software+Services).

This week, we will see a very busy Data Protection Day.

At her European Parliament hearing last week, Commissioner-Designate Viviane Reding mentioned online privacy as one of her key priorities.

Brad Smith, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation gave a speech on: “Technology leadership in the 21st century: How cloud computing will change our world”

New videos regarding Data Potection Day 2010 and the importance of data and online privacy!  

Last month we organized an event at the European Parliament hosted by Bill Newton-Dunn MEP on the occasion of a Microsoft worldwide campaign against counterfeit software with the real victim of counterfeits at its center - the end-consumer.

As each year, on 28 January 2010, we celebrate Data Protection Day in Europe and other continents to raise awareness on privacy and data protection amongst citizens.

Times have changed. "Microsoft has been on a journey itself... doing things on interoperability that were unimaginable just a few years ago..."

For all the buzz about cloud computing, the potential benefits are real: cost savings as well as the exciting possibilities for small European entrepreneurs to reach global audiences with a minimum of upfront IT costs. Yet the adoption of cloud computing services will depend a great deal on how industry addresses the fundamental interests of users in security, privacy and interoperability, interests about...

When we think of fakes and copies, our minds each produce different thoughts and images, depending on our cultural references. Many of us would think of cheap and obvious items sold in situations far from those where we buy originals.

Potential cost-savings from eHealth are being jeopardised because computer systems cannot talk to one another, according to experts from the public and private sectors at a meeting in Brussels in September organised by Microsoft.

This has already been a busy month in Europe for Microsoft cooperating with competitors to ensure that different software products can work better with each other.   

Video from Microsoft Interoperability Series on the EU Services Directive. Filmed in Brussels, October 2009.

Erich Andersen, VP and Deputy General Counsel of the Windows Business at Microsoft, speaking about the prevalence of interoperability in Windows 7.

The internet can act as a platform for Europe’s innovation and imagination, but only if public confidence is maintained and cybercrime tackled effectively. We are helping to establish a trusted community across the internet, embracing people, data, software and hardware.  Also, partnering with other leading technology companies, we have founded the ‘Trust in Digital Life’ partnership...

With the web providing access to entertainment, banking and even healthcare, EU citizens are increasingly spending more time online. We have grown to rely and trust the internet to help us get on with our daily lives. However, the internet will fail to achieve its full potential if people lose faith in the way we protect people’s privacy and the information we share online. As a global leader,...

 “Our goal is to promote greater interoperability, opportunity and choice for customers and developers throughout the industry by making our products more open and by sharing even more information about our technologies.” — Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft

On June 20th 2012, in the presence of Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt, sustainability legend Gro Harlem Brundtland, IPCC Chair Rajendra K. Pachauri, EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard and 150 VIP guests at Rio+20, Eye on Earth has been chosen for the prestigious SUSTAINIA 100 list of solutions. For more information, you can visit:...

PDC: Ray Ozzies keynote, highlighting choice, diversity -- and interoperability

The EU's Services Directive aims to facilitate the provision of services across borders within the European Union and requires EU Member States to establish an online space for service providers to have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC.) 

Interoperability and eHealth might at first glance appear as very different concepts – but the actual relationship between the two is extremely important. 

Viviane Reding, European commissioner for all things hi-tech, is known for telling it like it is. A passionate advocate for new technologies, she has made a name for herself by confronting anything or anyone she thinks hinders European citizens from benefiting from what technologies have to offer.

As the global financial turmoil continues to cast its shadow, government leaders are gathering in Brussels to discuss collaboration.

The Internet and other modern information and communication technologies are transforming Europe's economy and society on a scale never seen before, offering opportunities for new forms of social interaction and innovative personalised services, and providing huge potential for economic growth. But can we trust them?

Confidential data need to be kept confidential – but there are times when the information needs to be shared, too. That's where the new EU Framework Programme Consequence comes in.

Collaboration is at the heart of the European project. Implementation of numerous European policies depends on cooperation between the Member States. Information technology plays a crucial role in enabling these policy goals to become a reality, and collaboration among the many stakeholders involved presents a need for technologies as well as processes that can work together. 

“The creation of a single European Research Area (ERA) - to mirror the single market with the four freedoms of goods, services, people and capital that have done so much to boost competitiveness in Europe - is one of my central objectives.” - Janez Potocnik

The much vaunted globalisation of business and politics has not by-passed the world of R&D.

Cluster Stew: the European Commission is formulating an all-embracing strategy on cluster development to boost innovation and maximise returns from structural funds and related budgets. But what is the right policy recipe for a perfectly formed cluster?

In 1997, Microsoft opened its first big European lab – and it placed it in what was then Europe's only serious answer to Silicon Valley: Cambridge, in the United Kingdom.

The Science|Business Innovation Board says Europe's innovation policies need to change, to encourage high-growth entrepreneurs.

Is the essence of a cluster physical proximity or, given broadband Internet and associated communications platforms, is it possible to create virtual clusters ?

Innovation in the ICT sector has transformed how a large segment of the world's population works, communicates, learns, shops and plays. Today's online consumer benefits from unprecedented access to information and services - and most of it for free.