Published: 14 May 2017

Reading time: About 3 minutes

On the 25th May 2018, when GDPR comes into force, the way we protect, process and manage data will change radically.

The principles of GDPR are shaping the future of Information Management across the world. Microsoft recently announced its commitment to a GDPR-compliant Cloud in time for the 2018 deadline. Since then, the Cloud services provider has gone a step further, to promise contractual commitments to GDPR.

Automated Intelligence welcomes this news as the race to get prepared for GDPR enters the final twelve months. The news is especially relevant to organisations that are getting ready for the implementation of the regulation..

Rich Sauer, Corporate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel writes, “Trust is central to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. So that you can trust the Microsoft products and services you use, we take a principled approach with strong commitments to privacy, security, compliance and transparency.”

Any organisation that collects, hosts, or analyses personal data of EU citizens must use third-party data processors that can guarantee the ability to uphold and also implement all GDPR requirements under the new regulation.

Contractual Commitments Offer GDPR Peace of mind

In the blog post, Rich continues, “To further earn your trust, we are making contractual commitments available to you that provide key GDPR-related assurances about our services. Our contractual commitments guarantee that you can:

  • Respond to requests to correct, amend or delete personal data.
  • Detect and report personal data breaches.
  • Demonstrate your compliance with the GDPR.”

This announcement will bring peace of mind to those who are worried about their ability to comply with the regulation. While GDPR will change how we manage data privacy, Microsoft’s commitment will instil confidence in many organisations ability to deliver.

Rich finishes off his post saying, “Microsoft is the first global cloud services provider to publicly offer you these contractual commitments. We believe privacy is a fundamental right. The GDPR is an important step forward to further clarify and enable individual privacy rights and look forward to sharing additional updates how we can help you comply with this new regulation and, in the process, advance personal privacy protections.”

Automated Intelligence have developed an innovative approach for information governance and the GDPR. We help organisations to:

  • Understand how they’re using personal data
  • Identify gaps and what needs to change
  • Define a prioritised remediation strategy
  • Implement necessary changes to achieve timely compliance through a committed service