Baihui Zongheng Challenges Legality of Microsoft's Office 365
BiaNews, 3/14/13
In a press conference at the China National Convention Center today, Beijing-based enterprise computing service provider Baihui Zongheng Technology announced that it is calling upon companies in China to "operate cloud computing services in compliance with the law." Baihui also released an open letter requesting that Microsoft provide proof of its legal authorization to operate Office 365 in China.
The letter claims that the Office 365 cloud service announced by Microsoft to prospective Chinese enterprise clients on February 28, 2013, constitutes a commercial website under relevant Chinese law, and calls upon Microsoft to provide evidence that it has received a license to operate commercial internet information services.
In addition, the Office 365 service is provided by Microsoft's US headquarters, making it a cross-border telecommunications service. As a result, Microsoft China should provide evidence that it obtained permission from relevant state organs to operate a cross-border telecommunications service.
In its letter, Baihui says that should Microsoft be unable to provide evidence that it is legally operating Office 365 in China, then the Chinese website for Office 365 could be in danger of being blocked, leaving service subscribers — including Baihui — unable to access the corporate data they have stored on the service.
Keywords: office software law software cloud computing Microsoft Baihui Zongheng
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