According to Microsoft, the EU Data Boundary solution will be expanded in the coming phases to accommodate the storage and processing of additional categories of personal data, including data provided when receiving technical support
Microsoft to launch EU Data Boundary solution from 1 January 2023. (Credit: efes from Pixabay)
Microsoft has announced plans to begin the phased rollout of the EU Data Boundary plan to customers in the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) from 1 January 2023.
The new solution is expected to enable public sector and commercial customers to store and process their customer data within the EU Data Boundary for Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Azure, and Dynamics 365 services.
Microsoft said that the new solution is expected to significantly reduce the data flow out of Europe.
According to the tech major, the solution will be expanded in the coming phases to accommodate the storage and processing of additional categories of personal data, including data provided when getting technical support.
The EU Data Boundary solution, which was announced in 2021, has been developed by Microsoft to expand its current residency solutions and to deliver improved control over data and better transparency.
Over the past one year, the company is said to have modified the timeline for the localisation of additional personal data categories in light of customer feedback and insights.
The solution will leverage the data centres operated by Microsoft in Europe.
As part of the rollout, the technology major is expected to publish a documentation on the boundary commitments.
The transparency documentation will be continuously revised as new phases of the solution are rolled out. It will include details on services that might need limited transfers of customer data outside of the EU to ensure the security and reliability of the service, stated Microsoft.
In July 2022, Microsoft launched a new solution for public sector customers, dubbed Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty, to assist them to build and digitally transform workloads in the Microsoft Cloud.