IBM tightens privacy measures for EU cloud operations: In response to both regulatory and competitive pressures, IBM is adding a new layer of data access and control guidelines in its Frankfurt data center operations, which serves many cloud infrastructure customers across the EU. Here are the key details from its announcement:
IBM will roll out new controls to ensure access to client content (including client personal data and special personal data) is restricted to and controlled by EU-based IBM employees only. These employees will play a critical role in IBM incident and change management processes by reviewing and approving all changes from non-EU based employees that could affect client data.
In a move that is unique to only IBM Cloud’s dedicated environments in Frankfurt, clients will review and approve all non-EU access requests to their content if an instance requires support or access from a non-EU based employee. If granted, this access is temporary and the client will be notified when the temporary access is revoked. Logs that track access are made available to the client.
Big Blue is also adding to customer support teams in the EU, which will now have around-the-clock local staff. No price increases are anticipated. A third measure, coming next year, will give customers the ability to encrypt their data both at rest and in transit while keeping possession of master encryption keys at all times.
POV: IBM's moves are welcome and necessary in light of recent and upcoming developments in EU privacy laws, particularly the General Data Privacy Act, which takes effect next year. It is also playing catchup to rivals such as Microsoft, which has already rolled out similar measures for Azure. Microsoft is working with Deutsche Telekom, who is serving as a third-party steward overseeing customer data held in EU data centers.
IBM is pledging to add the data privacy improvements in other regions around the world, although it provided no timelines.
The LinkedIn-Office integration story continues with Resume Assistant: As time goes on since Microsoft's landmark $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn, the application integration scenarios between the companies' software are becoming abundant and diverse. The latest is Resume Assistant, a feature that pulls LinkedIn data into Microsoft Word as job seekers are crafting or updating their curriculum vitae:
Leverage relevant examples—See how top people in a field represent their work experience and filter by industry and role for a personalized experience.
Identify top skills—Find the most prominent skills for the type of job you’re seeking so you can more easily increase your discoverability.
Customize a resume based on real job postings—People can see relevant job listings from LinkedIn’s 11 million open jobs and customize their resume to appeal to recruiters.
Resume Assisant also provides hooks into LinkedIn's ProFinder freelance help site, as well as the Open Candidates feature, which tells recruiters combing through LinkedIn that you're available and interested in new opportunities.
POV: This is a classic case of line-blurring between two platforms' unique capabilities that results in something more useful on the whole. While LinkedIn profiles over the past several years have become somewhat of a proxy for traditional resumes, they haven't replaced them by a long shot.
Meanwhile, resumes have long been a largely static art form; while there may be no need for a radical reinvention of the format, the elements that go into them can always be improved, and that's where LinkedIn's rich data set can help job seekers, recruiters and hiring managers alike.
UPS joins blockchain trucking alliance: If you're a group forming an industry consortium around the use of blockchain in the trucking industry, you could do worse than to land UPS, the world's biggest package delivery company, as a member. The Blockchain in Trucking Alliance has done just that, in a move that should provide the group's work with a major infusion of energy. Here's how UPS describes why it joined:
In particular, UPS is exploring blockchain applications in its customs brokerage business. UPS is one of the world’s largest customs brokers, and a key objective of its brokerage strategy is to digitize transactions. Blockchain technology would help by improving transaction accuracy and by replacing existing paper-heavy and manual processes.
UPS wants to leverage blockchain technology to facilitate execution and visibility of trusted transactions between UPS, its customers and government customs agencies. Blockchain, a digital database using blocks that are linked and secured by cryptography, can be used to keep record of any information or assets. This includes physical assets, like transportation containers, or virtual assets, like digital currencies.
POV: Some 300 companies have applied to join BiTA. This bodes well for the group's work, which of course remains nascent. Its emergence comes as the trucking industry is experiencing a renewed wave of consolidation.
Later this year, new U.S. rules will take effect requiring trucking companies to use electronic logging of drivers' hours. The logging is aimed at stopping logistics providers from circumventing laws governing how long drivers can work, but as a byproduct is expected to squeeze productivity and already thin profit margins. To that end, blockchain is a longer-term play but one the trucking industry is betting on as a route to more efficient operations.