Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy statement explains data collection and use practices of the �Windows Server Catalog of Tested Products� and the �Windows Server Marketplace� sites (the "Sites"); it does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, merchandise or services. By accessing the Site, you consent to the information collection and use practices described in this privacy statement.

 

We will ask you when we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you. The personal information we may collect includes your name, e-mail address, and nickname. We also may collect the Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our Sites. This information is used for the operation and improvement of the Sites.

When you click on a link to purchase or download an item listed on the Sites, you will be redirected to a different site where the merchandise is available. Any personal information you provide to such sites will be collected by those sites and governed by those sites' privacy statements. Windows Server Catalog and Windows Server Marketplace do not receive any of that personal information. We receive only aggregate reports from those sites.

 

The personal information collected on the Sites will be used to operate the Sites and to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s), if any, you have requested or authorized.

In support of these uses, Microsoft may use personal information to provide you with more effective customer service, to improve the Sites and any related Microsoft merchandise or services, and to make the Sites easier to use by eliminating the need for you to repeatedly enter the same information or by customizing the Sites to your particular preference or interests.

We may use your personal information to provide you with important information about the merchandise or service that you are using, including critical updates and notifications.

Microsoft occasionally hires other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as Web site analytics or answering customer questions about merchandise and services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Microsoft may disclose personal information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft or the Sites; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft and our family of Web sites; or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees or agents, users of Microsoft merchandise or services, or members of the public.

Personal information collected on the Sites may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries or agents maintain facilities, and by using the Sites, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union.

 

Except as otherwise described in this statement, personal information you provide on the Sites will not be shared outside of Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates without your permission.

If you have further questions about or concerns about any personal information collected on the Sites, please write to us at the e-mail address listed at the bottom of this statement.

Please be aware that this privacy statement and any choices you make on the Sites will not necessarily apply to personal information you may have provided to Microsoft in the context of other, separately operated, Microsoft merchandise or services.

 

Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your personal information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the personal information you provide on computer servers with limited access that are located in controlled facilities. Additionally, when we transmit sensitive personal information (such as a credit card number) over the Internet, we protect it through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

 

We may occasionally update this privacy statement. For material changes to this privacy statement, we will notify you either by placing a prominent notice on the home page of the Sites or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.

 

Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. Please contact us by e-mail with questions or comments.