Posted by Fred HumphriesManaging Director, U.S. Government Affairs
Over the last 25 years, technology has enabled data to move from the desk drawer to the desktop, to networks, to the Web and now into the cloud. This rapid growth offers tremendous potential for efficiency, cost savings and innovations to individuals, businesses and governments alike.
For example, Microsoft’s HealthVault is helping the Cleveland Clinic to manage diabetes and heart disease by digitizing patient data, storing it online and making it easily accessible for patients and health care providers. Using at-home medical devices such as heart rate monitors and glucometers, patients can monitor their conditions and upload their data into HealthVault, which incorporates that information into the patient’s personal health record at the Cleveland Clinic. This use of HealthVault by the Cleveland Clinic shows how cloud computing can improve communication and collaboration by making data easily accessible from anywhere at any time.
Posted by Akhtar BadshahSenior Director, Global Community Affairs
Founded in 2005 by President Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative was created to turn ideas into action creating a more integrated global community with shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. It brings together people from around the world, and channels the capacities of individuals and organizations to realize social and economic change. It focuses on practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action.
Microsoft is a proud partner of the Clinton Global Initiative. We share the same belief that collaboration between individuals and the private, public and nonprofit sectors can address the world's most pressing problems.
Posted by Brad SmithSenior Vice President and Microsoft General Counsel
(Cross-posted from the Official Microsoft Blog)
A story in yesterday’s New York Times reports on anti-piracy enforcement actions in Russia that have been used for more nefarious purposes than protecting intellectual property rights.
As General Counsel for Microsoft, it was not the type of story that felt good to read. It described instances in which authorities had used piracy charges concerning Microsoft software to confiscate computers and harass non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others engaged in public advocacy. It suggested that there had been cases when our own counsel at law firms had failed to help clear things up and had made matters worse instead. Whatever the circumstances of the particular cases the New York Times described, we want to be clear that we unequivocally abhor any attempt to leverage intellectual property rights to stifle political advocacy or pursue improper personal gain. We are moving swiftly to seek to remove any incentive or ability to engage in such behavior.
Some of our internal teams around the world were already looking at these issues, and they had turned to human rights advocates to ask for advice. We pulled these internal teams together to assess the issues raised in the New York Times story, and yesterday morning we had our internal counsel in Moscow, Paris, and London on the phone with a number of our senior Legal and Corporate Affairs personnel from the Seattle area.
Posted by Owen LinderholmDirector, Microsoft on the Issues
Back in February, we wrote about Operation b49 – the groundbreaking legal and technical efforts led by Microsoft in cooperation with academic and industry experts around the world to shut down the notorious Waledac botnet, a network of tens of thousands of computers hijacked by bot-herders to spread malware, send spam and commit other forms of cybercrime. Today, we’re pleased to announce that our legal action to permanently shut down the botnet has been successful! The Official Microsoft Blog has additional details about today’s news, and you should also check out today’s edition of USA Today.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced that in conjunction with International Literacy Day it is launching a new portal for supporting and promoting literacy efforts globally. Microsoft shares the global concern with literacy – both for children and adults. It is estimated that there are 796 million illiterate adults worldwide and 67.4 million children not attending school and at risk of becoming illiterate adults. Reducing these numbers is a global priority. In fact, halving the global adult illiteracy rate by 2015 is one of the specific goals of the UN Literacy Decade that was launched in 2003.
The portal, called the Knowledge an Innovations Network for Literacy (KINL) has been supported by Microsoft and Verizon.
This new portal is intended to be a global workplace where literacy researchers and workers can connect, share information and discuss literacy in English, Spanish and French. The portal, called the Knowledge and Innovations Network for Literacy (KINL) has been supported by Microsoft and Verizon. The hope and expectation is that KINL will foster creativity and innovation in advancing literacy as well as be a support worldwide for people working on literacy. Microsoft shares the global concern with literacy – both for children and adults. It is estimated that there are796 million illiterate adults worldwide and 67.4 million children not attending school and at risk of becoming illiterate adults.