Work more efficiently from anywhere: that’s how you can sum up the efficiency of the cloud. The cloud is revolutionizing the way we work and today, this technology is gaining ground in many industries in Mauritius.
In order to use the Cloud in a legal context, Microsoft, in collaboration with Eversheds Sutherland, organized a forum on Wednesday, March 8. The event, aimed at companies in the financial sector, took place at the Labourdonnais Hotel, located in Port-Louis.
Discussions focused on the legal, compliance and security aspects that are important to any business. The public was able to meet the following speakers:
- Nitish Hurnaum, attorney and partner at Eversheds Sutherland;
- Owen Larter, Government Affairs Manager, Microsoft UK;
- Saheel Khoyratty, Cloud Solutions Specialist Microsoft Indian Ocean ;
- Njeri Olweny, Corporate Counsel, Microsoft Africa;
- Marc Israel, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Africa;
- Casiya Thaniel, attorney, Microsoft USA.
The meeting was very productive and allowed the various parties to focus on the considerations required by this technology to ensure that businesses can fully benefit from the power of the cloud. This technology provides various types of services to individuals and businesses from a network of data centers located in several countries.
Mauritian legislation adapted to the use of the cloud
Law firm Eversheds Sutherland has made it clear that “Mauritian law is suitable for the use of the cloud by local companies. Microsoft, for its part, assures that its cloud services offer the highest security and confidentiality, as they are certified by several independent bodies.
“The Mauritian legal framework governing the technology and information sector shows that the Mauritian government wishes to encourage the adoption of technologies such as the cloud, and all those related to it,” says Nitish Hurnaum, lawyer, before specifying that “Section 16 of the Information and Communication Technologies Act stipulates that the role of the Information and Communications Technologies Authority of Mauritius (ICTA) is in particular to democratize access to information by taking into account the quality, diversity and plurality in the choice of services available via technology and to promote the efficiency and competitiveness of the Mauritius IT sector internationally. “
The Mauritian lawyer is of the opinion that the same rules should be applied to all operators, in the interest of the consumer. “These laws serve as a foundation and help steer the vision of the government. The adoption of cloud and other technological advances is essential for Mauritius to become the IT hub of Africa!” he concluded.
No more barriers for companies
The digital transformation catalyzed by the cloud is breaking down the walls that used to surround companies and bringing them closer to their customers. However, legislators are very concerned about the confidentiality aspect. In Mauritius, the Data Protection Act ensures the protection of data and users.
“Microsoft offers you the tools, including software and services, to help you achieve your ambitions,” said Marc Israel. “We realize that some of our customers will take a little longer to move to the cloud to achieve their goals. But it is only a matter of time.”
The General Data Protection Rule (GDPR) was passed in Europe by the European Union (EU) in 2016 and will go into effect in May 2018. The Act makes provision for extraterritorial applicability, so that Mauritian companies can do business with EU citizens and companies, managing their personal data. To do so, they will have to comply with the standards set by the GDPR. Microsoft has committed that by May 2018, all of its cloud services will be GDPR compliant.
