Alex Gay (4/29/2014)
There is no way that we in the NHS could use cloud computing in general, or Azure in particular, especially for databases that contain patient data. The risks of unauthorized access is too high to begin with and when you add to that the fact that a US judge could order Microsoft to grant access to your data (see here http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/28/us_judge_digital_search_warrants_apply_everywhere/), we wouldn't be able to guarantee the required level of data security. The ISC (Information Security Commission) would gut us, it would probably cost more in fines for breach of patient data security than we would save in licensing and hardware, which is the point of the legislation.
So true. In the UK there will be many more industries under similar restrictions (e.g. financial data)...and then there is the rest of the world too.
Maybe that means that there is room for supporting both online and on-premises!!!
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!