Microsoft (Redmond, VA, USA) has launched a Transparency Centre in Brussels in a bid to help build trust with governments worldwide.

The facility will be the second of its kind, with Microsoft opening another in its hometown of Redmond last year. The vendor is aiming to help protect governments from cyber threats by allowing them to “access important security information in a secure environment” and look at the source code of Microsoft products.

Matt Thomlinson, vice president of Microsoft security, said: “Today’s opening in Brussels will give governments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa a convenient location to experience our commitment to transparency and delivering products and services that are secure by principle and by design.”

The Centre will be available for members of Microsoft’s Government Security Programme (GSP), which features 23 national governments, and provides them with information to asses the security of Microsoft products and services.

Thomlinson announced today that the European Commission is now also participating in GSP.

“As noted by the European Commission’s vice president for the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, trust is the essential ingredient for enabling the completion of the Digital Single Market, Europe’s ambitious plan to drive growth and competitiveness in the region through the use of digital technologies,” Thomlinson said.

“Only by increasing confidence in the digital solutions which have the potential to catalyse whole economies can Europe ensure that every citizen, business and government feels the benefits of the digital revolution – and we hope today’s announcement can help bring us one step further towards achieving this goal.”

Source: Channel Economics