Microsoft Consumer Protection

Introduction

An unprecedented commercial and trade revolution has been unleashed with the advent of technology and the internet. Today, communication through the internet is considered a critical platform for connecting businesses with one another and with their customers. Prospective consumers looking for information about particular business goods before making a purchase have come to rely on corporate websites as their primary source of information in today’s age of information. Aside from that, websites have developed as essential and cost-effective marketing platforms via which firms may present new products and deliver key marketing information to end consumers (Arnold et al., 2011, p. 56). Consequently, even while the internet and other online technologies have unquestionable benefits, the growth of these technologies has resulted in the formation of security loopholes that, when actively exploited, expose the connected organizations to enormous financial risk (Garfinkel & Spafford, 2002, p. 48). Microsoft is the selected company for the paper. Microsoft has grown to become a well-known US software development business whose products, such as Windows, have become household names all over the globe, will discuss internet technology, marketing, and security from their perspective. It will be focused on the description and evaluation of Microsoft’s website in terms of product information, corporate contact details, tailoring things for customers based on their preferences, and collecting customer information at the moment of purchase. Additionally, as part of the inquiry, an audit and review of Microsoft’s privacy and security policies, as well as the expected corporate response to a security breach, will be carried out.

Digital Consumer Culture

Typically, privacy is referred to as “the right to be alone,” which is related to feelings of confidence, secrecy, and autonomy among individuals. It is undeniable that consumer data is altering the nature of operations, and firms handle the information they gather responsibly (Kerber, 2016.). McKinsey surveyed consumers to get more insight into what customers think about privacy and data collection to understand more. They were interrogated about their trust in the companies they frequented and their opinions on data gathering, hacking and violations, policies, interactions, and various industries, among other things. Based on the responses, it seems that consumers are getting more selective about the types of information they reveal and with whom they share that information. When individuals are not offered a choice, they are substantially more likely to provide personal information critical to their business relationships with firms than when they are. There are other areas where users are most confident providing information with institutions. Despite this, no industry’s trust rating was 50 percent and above for data security (Anant et al., 2020). With the history of data breaches and violations of consumer data privacy, it is understandable that individuals are hesitant to place their trust in businesses. As a result, participants were conscious of data breaches, which influenced their replies to the survey question on trust. When the most catastrophic data breaches occur, massive volumes of client information are made publicly available. According to a study from cybersecurity firm UpGuard, a security flaw involving Microsoft Power Applications revealed 38 million files including personal and sensitive information (Health IT Security). The data hack had an effect on 47 companies from a variety of sectors, including several government-sponsored public health institutions. It was discovered that millions of files had been exposed due to a breach at several other firms. Even customers who were not directly damaged by the data breaches were paying close to how the companies responded to the issues since the stakes were so high for those companies that manage customer data.

Personal data processing is normally required to be legal, restricted, transparent, accurate, and secure under the terms of data protection regulations. According to Nas (2019), organizations often strive to preserve people’s privacy and provide them with some level of choice over how personal data is used and stored. They often create organizations with authority to conduct investigations and enforce responsibilities as part of this process. In the digital economy, a robust data security framework offers assurance that may foster investment, competitiveness, and innovation in the digital economy and the adoption of digital government and private sector services. There are hazards associated with gathering and processing large volumes of personal data. With digital marketing, loss, theft, disclosure without authorization, and abuse of personal information are all possibilities. According to the Federal Trade Commission (2021), inappropriate or humiliating disclosures, identity theft, information loss, or uninvited solicitation or marketing are possible outcomes. Additionally, personal data may be utilized for corporate and government surveillance and the biased handling of vulnerable persons and groups (Voigt, 2019). In certain cases, individuals are oblivious to how their personal information is being utilized or to which companies their information is being transmitted, and their confidence should not be disregarded. Consumers who are more conscious about the hazards associated with their data are more likely to avoid or restrict their use of digital services, which might impede attempts to promote economic growth and inclusiveness. Recent research has shown that customers in both high- and low-income nations place a high value on their data security.

Digital Media

One’s corporate website acts as the company’s online shop. Therefore, its performance is vital to the success of any online business venture (Catalano & Smith, 2000, p. 118). As with any subjective concept, the web material on any respected company website must emphasize specific concerns for which they supply solutions to consumers and the main goals they help customers reach. Among other things, web content must establish credibility and include a call to action that encourages the user to go to the next step, such as buying the product or service in question. As an example, on the Microsoft web page, the tabs that connect to product information are prominently displayed on the top page of the website. Even though they are a touch cluttered, the product pages for the software, business software, and hardware categories and the entertainment categories provide a short synopsis of what is available in each category. The corporation’s decision to communicate product information makes sense when you consider the vast number of things they provide in each category and the diverse range of products they offer. As shown by the positioning of product information on the pages, the layout indicates a subtle knowledge of the enormity of the product portfolio, as seen by the efforts taken to ensure that the information provided is evenly distributed across the pages.

The product information on the Microsoft website is precise and adequate to enable a potential customer to make an informed decision. On the surface, it seems that the company’s website does not pay any special attention to its contact information, which is understandable. Contact information is presented on the website in the standard method that can be seen on the vast majority of the company and personal websites. Information on contacting the company may be found on the “contact us” page, which offers links to e-mail, chat, and phone options for getting in touch with the organization. Sub links are included in each of the three links, making it easier for prospective customers to get the information they want with more ease and precision. It is critical, however, to update the “Contact us” link on the home page in such a way that it adds to the overall image of “great” customer service. The production of items that are specifically customized to the needs of individual customers is a serious undertaking. As a result of the dynamic and changeable nature of corporate needs, Microsoft’s website has done an excellent job of defining the underlying meaning of goods, as well as the conditions in which they are most suited and where they are most successful.

One specific benefit of the website when it comes to personalizing items for customers is the absence of broad promises that may lead purchasers to assume that the company can fix their software problems “no matter what they are.” In light of the intricacy and one-of-a-kindness of Microsoft’s products, its website does not have an online purchasing portal that would enable consumers to place orders straight from the website itself. Following the transaction, it is evident that the business will rely on the contact information to provide “additional assistance” and presumably provide customer information after the transaction has been completed. As a result, there is a serious lack of information regarding customer purchases available on the website due to this. Because such information is not accessible, even in the most general terms, the website has committed a strategic failure, which is true despite the presence of connections to relevant resources on other websites.

With its resources and inventiveness, Microsoft established what might be described as “monopoly status” in the internet and software development marketplaces when the business initially entered the markets. In recent years, however, the company has faced intense competition from counterfeits and other quickly rising firms like Google and Apple (Boone & Kurtz, 2011, p. 175). It has put in place a marketing strategy that places a strong emphasis on the usage of the internet as a medium for marketing. Beyond partnerships with social networking sites, which are particularly crucial for promoting Microsoft’s search engine Bing, Microsoft also posts adverts in rival search engines. It promotes sales and specials on its main website (Beyazitoglu, 2010, p. 98). However, although the approaches outlined above are likely to provide excellent results, they are also a part of the normal internet marketing strategies. Their effectiveness is thus likely to be restricted as a consequence of this.

Competition

While social networking sites have not yet achieved their full marketing potential, it is an effective technique that the company should continue to improve and concentrate on to stay competitive. It is said that a company’s ability to surpass competitors by doing what they do better or in a completely different way is the cornerstone of its competitive advantage (McDaniel and Gitman, 2008, p. 108). However, even if Microsoft’s website is up to date, it does not give any competitive advantage compared to its rivals’ websites. Because the website offers the company’s flagship goods, such as Windows, which have practically become a need for all computer users, this may be the only competitive advantage the website has to offer in this market area. Increasing corporate espionage has caused internet security to come to the top of many firms’ priority lists, and it is expected to continue to increase (Mackey, 2003, p. 78). On the website of a company like Microsoft, you will see a detailed privacy policy that describes precisely what information the company collects and how it uses that information. Following the policy’s clarification that personal information is collected with a customer’s consent explains how personal information is used. Also, it provides contact information in the event of a privacy issue and emphasizes the customer’s choices and options when it comes to receiving promotional communications from the company (Chu, 2008). Overall, the policy is comprehensive and addresses most of the privacy concerns that a normal Microsoft website user would have about their personal information, which is a good thing. As a result of these factors and growing public awareness of these issues, how Microsoft handles personal consumer data could be a differentiator and, in certain situations, a measure of competitive economic advantage.

Critique

Even though Microsoft has one of the most powerful cyber security systems accessible in the corporate world (Ratliff & Ballard, 2006, p. 24), it still grapples with security challenges. The website has been targeted by an attackers severally, despite the company’s promises that personal information was protected. Such events cast doubt on the company’s ability to detect and repel hackers who attempted to steal information from the website due to the incident. Using credentials sent to an external e-mail address in Russia, the hackers launched their attack. They could download source code from the Microsoft website from a distant location. A Trojan horse called QAZ was used in the attack, which, according to the corporation, lasted 12 days and gained access to the company’s computer system via an employee’s e-mail account (Dunham, 2003). Most likely, Microsoft did not adequately safeguard their network’s access points, hence exposing their remote access system and resulting in a security compromise on Microsoft’s end. When the breach occurred, one of the company’s first responses was to invite an FBI Computer Analysis Response Team to examine the company’s systems, which included a study of network logs to identify recognizable fingerprints of the intruder. Additionally, Microsoft blocked and, in some cases, limited access to its network for some of its employees when they were away from the office. As a consequence of this decision, Microsoft prevented any hacker from re-entering its network. Therefore, the firm must strengthen its virus scanning and prevention procedures and its network access point protection in light of the security, as mentioned earlier issue. This attack may have happened due to a failure in virus and access point security procedures. As a result, logging systems have become some of the most vulnerable security points in any network system, making them an attractive target for cybercriminals (Bhasin, 2003, p. 67). In addition to having a rigorous monitoring system for the logging system, the business must deactivate any ports that are no longer required.

Conclusion

According to Dell, the internet’s ability to aid firms in decreasing expenditures indicates that its potential in business and commerce has not yet achieved its pinnacle. Beyond e-commerce, there are a variety of additional novel applications for the Internet that corporations have yet to make use of. With the increasing availability of internet access throughout the globe, especially among previously unreached populations in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, there is a tremendous marketing potential for businesses to capitalize on. In contrast, the threat of unlawful entrance is becoming more prevalent with each passing day. Consequently, companies should invest in secure internet technologies via research and development to ensure safe online transactions while also safeguarding themselves from data theft.

References

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