MS to cut jobs

Microsoft plans to create new cloud-focused positions, but is sacrificing jobs worldwide in the endeavour, states InfoWorld.

The company says the layoffs are part of a company-wide rebalancing effort as it shifts its core focus to cloud computing.

"Microsoft believes its future business is firmly centred on the cloud and we are rebalancing the organisation globally in order to create a number of new cloud-specific roles across the business," says a Microsoft spokesperson.

Chunghwa Telecom and PC maker Inventec plan to offer a cloud computing system available for trial by members of the Taiwan Cloud Computing Consortium (TCCC), says DigiTimes.

The system consists of 127 servers and roughly 1 000 processor cores, with the capacity to be expanded later this year.

The TCCC members decided that four working groups would be responsible for inventorying of technologies, standard specifications, application and service, collection of regulated regulations as well as promotion of international cooperation.

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has released a guide for small to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to help protect customers' personal information online, reports ZDNet.

Iain Bourne, the ICO's group manager of policy delivery, says that if a cloud provider allows sensitive customer data to be compromised, the responsibility for the breach still lies with the small business that has the relationship with the customers.

"The cloud computing code of practice will help SMEs not just comply with the law, but to run their businesses well," says Bourne.