EU data limit for personal data and new button on keyboards

In 2023, Microsoft introduced the EU data border. This enables users to store data within Europe so that the data never leaves European borders. Now Microsoft is expanding the EU data border. Completely independently of this, the tech giant is introducing a new key on keyboards.

Microsoft's EU data border

Microsoft's services have always been in demand in Europe. However, it seems that demand is growing all the time. We recently reported that Microsoft has doubled its capacity for Azure in Germany. in Germany. But it's not just in Germany that demand for Microsoft's cloud is high. Companies all over Europe are using Microsoft Azure.

An important issue here is data privacy and the options for storing personal data. With the EU data border, Microsoft enabled companies and users within Europe to store personal data exclusively on servers within European borders. This is an important step, as data protection regulations within the EU differ from those in America, for example.

Microsoft has now extended the EU data limit. Among other things, it is now also possible to store pseudonymized data such as system logs. Microsoft plans to expand the service further over the course of the year. It will soon be possible to store data from technical support processes.

External access will only be possible via a virtual desktop infrastructure. Microsoft is also planning a paid support service that guarantees that support outside Europe will only be provided with direct consent.

Microsoft is currently the only cloud provider to offer its European customers such a comprehensive service for storing data within Europe. At the beginning of the year, the tech giant published an article on the EU data border that explains all the details.

New AI key on keyboards

Another unique selling point of Microsoft is that they occasionally ensure that our computer keyboards are upgraded. The last time this happened was almost 30 years ago. With the release of Windows 95, Microsoft established the Windows key on our keyboards.

It remains to be seen whether the new AI button will also establish itself so well. But the chances are good. AI services are here to stay. And there are more and more of them.

The new AI button allows users to directly Microsoft's Copilot directly. Microsoft hopes that this will result in Copilot being used more frequently and becoming more firmly established.

As Microsoft's Copilot is not yet available everywhere, the AI button has an alternative function. On computers without Copilot, the AI key simply opens the Windows search.

At CES 2024 from January 9th to 12th in Las Vegas, some notebook manufacturers presented their first models with an AI button. The first releases are due at the end of February. Then we will see whether the AI button catches on.

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