Google-Fed Deal Questioned
Microsoft hates to lose, so it no surprise the company is complaining about Google's recent federal government win.
Here's the skinny: The General Services Administration (GSA) gave a contract to Unisys to build a Google Apps-based collaboration platform.
The original RFP required all the data to stay in U.S. data centers (Google hosts some of its data in overseas centers), but was changed, paving the way for the Unisys/Google win.
Microsoft is none too pleased. While the deal is worth just south of $7 million (chump change for our friends in Redmond), there are the matters or honor and PR -- both of which are now in Google's favor.
Microsoft argues that its solution keeps all the info of the good old US of A – and is protected by qualified and vetted administrators.
The GSA, after some study (and surely some lobbying), now believes that security is not based on data location but how well the provider actually secures the data.
What say you, wise Redmond Report reader? Can data be secure when it seems so far out of reach? You're the expert so opine at [email protected] (and yes, I did bite a few of Bill O'Reilly's rhymes in this last graph).
Posted by Doug Barney on 12/06/2010 at 1:18 PM