Digital Economy

Staying the course on data flows: a priority for the G20

- John Frank - Vice President for EU Government Affairs

How to create confidence in the digital world? We at Microsoft have joined the G20’s business dialogue process (B20) and will discuss concerns and responses to this question at the G20 Conference on “Digitalization: Policies for a Digital Future” taking place in Düsseldorf today, before the meeting of the G20 digital ministers. Digitalization and its impacts are high on the G20’s list of priorities for 2017. Digital transformation has become … Read more »

Celebrating Europe

- John Frank - Vice President for EU Government Affairs

Sixty years ago, on the 25th of March 1957, European politicians gathered in Rome to lay the blueprint for the European Union as we know it today. This momentous occasion ushered in decades of peace and prosperity, and we at Microsoft are proud to join in the Treaties of Rome anniversary celebrations. Our success as a company has been closely linked to the success of the European project. We’ve always … Read more »

B20: The new global economy runs on free flow of data and trust

- Microsoft Corporate Blogs

The German Federal Government took over the G20 Presidency at the end of last year. The economic dialogue B20 is an integral part of the G20 process, representing the entire business community of all G20 members. Its mission is to support the G20 through concrete policy proposals, consolidated representation of interests and expertise. Within the B20 task forces, joint recommendations for action are developed by representatives from trade associations, industry … Read more »

Protecting innovation in the cloud

- Brad Smith - President and Chief Legal Officer

Rapid advancements in cloud computing are creating new capabilities, insights and efficiencies, allowing businesses big and small to transform the way they deliver products and services. As this transformation accelerates, virtually every company in every sector of the economy is becoming in part a digital business. And as a digital business, it must master the new legal challenges that come with participation in the booming digital economy.

Brad Smith speaks on rules for the digital economy at DLD Munich

- Microsoft Corporate Blogs

“We need a new generation of law; one that will match technology, ensure technology is global, and ensure people’s rights are respected.” This was the rallying cry from Microsoft’s President and Chief Legal Officer, Brad Smith, speaking at the DLD conference in Munich yesterday. Smith joined David Kirkpatrick, founder, host, and CEO of Techonomy, to discuss the rights and responsibilities of global technology companies in the cloud era, and to … Read more »

Laying the foundations for a data-driven European economy

- Cornelia Kutterer - Senior Director EU Government Affairs, Privacy & Digital Policies, Microsoft

Less than two weeks into the New Year, and we have our first digital milestone moment of 2017. Yesterday saw the presentation of the final building blocks for Europe’s Digital Single Market: the European Commission’s Communication on Building a European Data Economy, the proposed Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications, and a Communication on Exchanging and Protecting Personal Data in a Globalised World. All of these initiatives will help Europe … Read more »

Microsoft’s commitment to moving technology forward without leaving timeless values behind

- Dervish Tayyip - Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft

The prevailing sentiment at the Internet & Social Media Law conference which took place in London this week was the importance of ensuring rules of conduct and laws for new technologies that respect timeless rights and values. There was a lot of discussion about the need to ensure that the kinds of traditional protections that we have all had, not just for years but for centuries, for information that is … Read more »

Baltic Sea (Digital) Region: Staying in the Lead

- Microsoft Corporate Blogs

Today in Stockholm, politicians, businesses and civil society are gathering to mark the 18th annual Baltic Development Forum (BDF) Summit. Since 1999, the Summit has sought to foster cross-sectorial dialogue and find common ground in a rapidly-evolving world. Nowhere is this rapid evolution more noticeable than in the ICT sphere. The Baltic Sea Region has established itself firmly as one of the world’s leading technological hubs, with the right skills, … Read more »

Building a cloud for global good

- Brad Smith - President and Chief Legal Officer

Today Satya Nadella and I are in Dublin. It’s the first stop on a trip that will also take us to Paris and Berlin, with Satya also visiting London. We’re spending this week meeting with customers, partners, developers and government leaders. We’ll talk about how the Microsoft Cloud is driving the transformation of businesses and industries across Europe and around the world. We’ll talk about how our customers have harnessed … Read more »

Setting the right framework for future-driven e-communications in Europe

- John Frank - Vice President for EU Government Affairs

Today the Commission announced the new European Electronic Communications Code, the long-awaited reform to the EU’s regulatory framework for electronic communications, a central pillar of the Digital Single Market. Over the past years, affordable and nearly ubiquitous connectivity has led to the emergence of innovative internet-based services, including new kinds of communications applications such as Skype, Viber, Vox.io, FaceTime, Google Voice or WhatsApp, providing greater choice for Europeans from Prague … Read more »