Outsourcing Big Brother

jbrownc1 writes "Privacy International has a great article on how the giant international outsourcing companies (EDS, CSC, etc) are outsourcing our most private data, as well as some of the implications that this has. Start thinking about which company will be hosting all that TIA data on your personal lives, and you can see why Microsoft is not your biggest enemy by a long shot!"

In soviet russia

[ealar dlanvuli]

You outsource the goverment.

ok I've had my fun. I'll refrain from any further russian jokes.

In soviet america

[ealar dlanvuli]

You outsorce the goverment.

Oh wait... thats what this article is about isn't it?

Where's the commie hunts when you need them, hm?

Ok, please explain to me.

[bmetzler]

On one hand, we have Microsoft, a company that breaks the law, is found guilty, and gets off scot-free. On the other hand, we have a company that offers a service that doesn't break the law to other companies who use that service to provide you, the customer, even better service.

Now, why should I view a company that offers a legitemite service as a bigger enemy then a company that breaks the law?

-Brent

In Facist America...

[jon787]

you outsource big brother....

MS not a concern?

[stewby18]

Whew, thank goodness we're safe from Microsoft. After all, if they were, say, a huge abusive monopoly, I'm sure they'd find some way to cut themselves a piece of the TIA cake, but as it is I'm sure they won't be part of the problem.

Oh, wait...

Re:MS not a concern?

[Trane Francks]

With EDS being a huge supplier of IT infrastructure in companies around the world -- the company for which I work having long since outsourced network/IT support to EDS -- I've got news for you: EDS and Microsoft are seriously in bed with each other. You want to get desktop PC's running some office productivity software, do you? EDS gives you Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows 98 as your choices of OS and MS Office, MS Office or MS Office as your choice of productivity suite.

(Yes, folks, I understand that EDS does UNIX, too, so spare me and let me make gross generalizations for the moment.)

EDS brokers worldwide licenses for Microsoft to corporations willing to shell out the bucks. Make no mistake; Microsoft is quite happy to see EDS doing what it's doing. The more desktops EDS controls, the more software Microsoft will sell.

The article itself is interesting, but not so startling in its ramifications. Outsourcing and "secure" partnerships have been around for a very long time now. Many companies do work under restriction of NDAs. Mine is one. EDS would absolutely be under various NDAs to protect the privacy of the data they're administering. In fact, I'd probably be more comfortable with outsourced services from a reputable company than I would with the government.

A company will do something for financial gain. A government will do something for power. The difference may appear subtle, but it is significant, IMO.

What about IBM ?

[mystran]

Nobody ever says they are afraid of what personal info the Big Blue might have. At least here in Finland, many (if not all) banks and other mission-critical companies have their mainframes located in IBM's datacenters which happen to be quite safe, which basicly means that even if whole Finland was out of electricity they probably still could use your data against you :)

Not to say that is bad. I personally trust IBM much more than my Bank but..

...or what country!

[Ninjacam]

Right now, many of our biggest American corporations are sending their systems and data overseas to the area of the world that hates us most. That's right, folks in the middle east will be watching over our data. Now, doesn't that make you feel safer?