Around six weeks ago we wrote about why we thought using Google Apps Team Edition was no real substitute to having the same apps provided by in-house IT. The reasoning was, it has to be said, more gut-feeling than anything else – that it was a bad idea to have your corporate data anywhere other than on your corporate servers.

Now, it turns out that there is a very good reason indeed for keeping data in house only. The US PATRIOT act, allows data at Google – including your data – to be spied upon by the US Government with only the most limited of legal oversight. This is a clear conflict with any requirement your business for keeping its data confidential – that may be as simple as matters of competition.

Where it really strikes home though if you’re using data that can identify others. That could be for Marketing, information on clients, or even worse, processing information supplied to you by clients. Anything that you do that requires your use registered with the Information Commissioner? It’s pretty safe to say you must not use Google Apps to do it.

(Oh, and that’s whether you’ve actually registered or not!)

Be careful now. This is the article where the problem first emerged.

Posted: March 26th, 2008 under Comment, News.
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