Microsoft opens Transparency Centre in Brussels

Technology giant Microsoft has chosen Brussels as the location of its first Transparency Center outside of the United States. The centre allows governments secure access to the source code of all Microsoft products and services, as well as providing information on cyber safety and online risk management.

The only other Transparency Center is at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington state, where it was set up in July last year. The programme allowing government access dates back to 2003, and 42 institutions related to 23 governments have signed up, including the Belgian federal, regional and local governments.

Alexander De Croo, federal minister for the digital agenda, was present at the opening of the new centre. “Digital security is one of the key issues in the digital world of today,” he said. “Ensuring the safety of our liberties and of our achievements requires action from governments and companies that develop technology and make it available to us.” The new centre has an important role to play in that effort, he said.

“Governments can come here to better understand how we work, so that they can trust us,” said Glenn Puttaway, responsible for “reliable computer use” at Microsoft. “Here at the centre they have the facilities for secure access to the source code.”

“Brussels is a great place for contact among people because so many government organisation are based here,” commented Bruno Schroder of Microsoft BeLux. “The centre gives us the chance to show that we are doing what we say we’re doing, as a means of building trust in the cloud and in our security.”

Photo courtesy Microsoft