Privacy Statement

Windows® Azure™ Marketplace Privacy Statement

Last updated: September 2011

Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy, while delivering software that brings you the performance, power, and convenience you desire in your computing. This privacy statement explains many of the data collection and use practices of Windows® Azure™ Marketplace ("WAM"). It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products, or services.

"WAM" is a cloud based service broker that connects its users to applications and data sources providing premium data.

Collection and Use of Your Information

The information we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to enable the features you are using and provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized. It may also be used to analyze and improve Microsoft products and services.

We may send certain mandatory service communications such as welcome letters, billing notices, information on technical service issues, and security announcements. Some Microsoft services may send periodic member letters that are considered part of the service. We may occasionally request your feedback, invite you to participate in surveys, or send you promotional mailings to inform you of other products or services available from Microsoft and its affiliates.

In order to offer you a more consistent and personalized experience in your interactions with Microsoft, information collected through one Microsoft service may be combined with information obtained through other Microsoft services. We may also supplement the information we collect with information obtained from other companies.

In order to access "WAM", you will be asked to enter information including an e-mail address and password, which we refer to as your Windows Live™ ID. After you create your Windows Live ID, you can use the same credentials to sign in to many different Microsoft sites and services, as well as those of select Microsoft partners that display the Windows Live ID logo. By signing in to one Microsoft site or service, you may be automatically signed in when you visit other Microsoft sites and services. When you sign in to a site using your Windows Live ID, we store your unique ID number, and the time you signed in, in an encrypted cookie on your hard disk. To learn more about Windows Live ID, please read the Microsoft Online Privacy Statement at http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=4412894.

Except as described in this statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, sending and delivering purchases and other mailings, answering customer questions about products or services, supporting current and prospective publishers, processing event registration, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

When you purchase, subscribe to, or use applications or datasets, some personal information, including your contact information, will be sent to content providers of the application or dataset to help them prevent fraud, provide you with customer support, perform statistical analysis, and as otherwise described in the content providers’ agreement and privacy policy or privacy statement. Content providers are prohibited from using the information for other purposes without your consent.

When you preview, submit for approval or publish applications and/or datasets, information, including some personal information, including your contact information, will be used by Microsoft to enable Microsoft to display the application and/or dataset, as well as to help complete the publishing process, prevent fraud, provide you with publisher support and perform statistical analysis.

Microsoft may access or disclose information, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public.

Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft through "WAM" may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or service providers maintain facilities. 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, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.

A default account key is created during sign up with "WAM". After creation, the default account key can’t be deleted. However, users may modify the value of the account key, and manage additional account keys by logging into the "WAM" portal.

User data is stored by Microsoft to enable the feature requested. Microsoft may access the user data to provide technical support and for troubleshooting of the "WAM" service.

Information about your use of "WAM" (Usage Data) will also be processed and stored to track usage for service improvement and billing.

If you choose to make a purchase or sign up for a paid subscription service, we will ask for additional information, such as your credit card number and billing address, which is used to create a Microsoft billing account. For credit card processing, our fraud detection vendors may use aggregate data to help improve their service. This helps them more accurately detect fraudulent uses of credit cards.

Collection and Use of Information about Your Computer

When you use software with Internet-enabled features, information about your computer ("standard computer information") is sent to the Web sites you visit and online services you use. Microsoft uses standard computer information to provide you Internet-enabled services, to help improve our products and services, and for statistical analysis. Standard computer information typically includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, browser version, and regional and language settings. In some cases, standard computer information may also include hardware ID, which indicates the device manufacturer, device name, and version. If a particular feature or service sends information to Microsoft, standard computer information will be sent as well.

Security of your information

Microsoft is committed to helping protect the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.

Choice/Control:

You may access your account information at any time by logging in at the WAM Web site at https://datamarket.azure.com. If you have a Microsoft Billing account, you can add to or update your information at the Microsoft Billing Web site by clicking on the "Personal Information" or "Billing Information" links.

Changes to this privacy statement

We will occasionally update this privacy statement to reflect changes in our products, services, and customer feedback. When we post changes, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this statement. If there are material changes to this statement or in how Microsoft will use your personal information, we will notify you either by posting a notice of such changes prior to implementing the change or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to periodically review this statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.

For More Information

Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. If you have questions about this statement or believe that we have not adhered to it, please contact us via e-mail at datamarket@microsoft.com.

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