Because of Trump: Microsoft expands in Europe and promises more resilience
Many European customers have lost confidence in digital products from the USA due to Trump. Microsoft now wants to invest heavily in Europe.
(Image: JeanLucIchard/Shutterstock.com)
The Trump administration's trade battles and sudden decisions have raised doubts in Europe about US digital products. Microsoft wants to counteract this: In the latest blog post by Microsoft's General Counsel and President, Brad Smith emphasizes the close economic ties and promises that Microsoft will not withdraw from Europe.
Five assurances
In the blog post, Smith formulates five digital assurances to Europe. Microsoft wants to increase its data center capacities by around 40 percent over the next two years and expand to 16 countries in Europe. To achieve this, Microsoft intends to invest tens of billions of euros annually.
(Image:Â Microsoft)
The European data centers are to operate independently and be managed by EU citizens. Microsoft wants to implement and respect European laws. Furthermore, Microsoft assures that it will not cease its cloud activities in Europe, even if foreign governments demand it. In this unlikely event, the company intends to take legal action against this.
As Trump has dismissed almost all members of the body responsible for monitoring the exchange of data between the USA and the EU (EU-US Data Privacy Framework), Microsoft undertakes in the blog post to continue to protect European data and offer additional encryption options. Smith mentioned the EU Data Boundary project, which enables Microsoft customers to store and process their data within the EU.
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Furthermore, the company wants to expand and actively support cyber security in Europe. As an example, Smith cited the support for Ukraine, where Microsoft helped to distribute Ukraine's data securely in Europe at the beginning of the war of aggression.
Microsoft fights for the favor of its customers
Since US President Trump took office for the second time, many US companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google have been fighting for the trust of European customers. Microsoft is positioning itself as a strong partner for Europe that wants to create digital stability.
According to Smith, it is "essential that we maintain the trust of countries and governments in our technologies." No wonder, as the European market accounts for more than a quarter of Microsoft's revenue.
(wid)
