During this summer, while a lot of people was drinking a glass near a swimming pool, Windows launched his new Windows 10 for free. Is it the same model as Google or Facebook?
It is not a scoop anymore, the new operating system of Microsoft, called Windows 10, is available. Maybe have you already installed it on your device. The particularity of this version is that everybody can get windows 10 for free. This seems very attractive, but we know that the amazement often hides a surprise.
In order to presents a free system, Windows has looked upon the economic model of some of its neighbors: the big companies generating huge benefits by selling free services. Google and Facebook can be mentioned, for instance.
What is the economic model of these giants? They are not selling something to the final consumer. Instead of that, they are giving him a service, which makes the success of these companies. The consumers massively use the application and the audience rise up to millions of people!
In this model, the firms want to please to the consumer, but not only in the interest of their users: it is also because a large audience means a lot of personal data. Huge volumes of those datas can be sold for a pretty penny to advertising agencies. It is rarely the final consumer that makes the benefits, but the sale of its personal data to advertisers.
This is the greatest fear of the new Windows 10 user. In order to make benefits with its new operating system, the Redmont firm has to collect a lot a personal data. When the program was examined by IT professionals, there was no appeal: In this version of Windows, a lot of data can be collected, much more than in the older version. Indeed, information about localization, habits, used devices; etc. can be collected by The Redmont firm in order to “personalize your experience”. We can agree that it is a success: Windows 10 can please the most of its users, because of its new customizable interface. Quite enough to forget the matter of personal data…
If the OS can collect your data, there is still a big difference between Microsoft and Google: Microsoft totally assumes its position. When Google doesn’t communicate about its personal data policy, hence not telling you that you are localized 24/7 by its OS, only tediously allowing you to deactivate it on your account’s dashboard, Microsoft takes a totally different position.
If you don’t want Windows collecting your personal data, you just have to go on your menu, click on “Confidentiality” and delete the option you think too intrusive. It is very simple and by the way, very reassuring.
But there is a reverse… If you decide to keep your data for you, Windows can’t personalize your experience and you might miss a lot of very convenient functions and tools. The Redmont gives the power (and the choice) to the user. So it’s up to you to find the right balance with the protection of your data and the personalization that Windows 10 may offer. And it’s not so easy.
Julien FERMAUD
Promotion 2015 du master 2 Commerce électronique de Strasbourg.
Suite à une licence AES à l’université de Montpellier, il s’est orienté vers une carrière tournée vers le commerce en intégrant le M1 Marketing/Vente de Montpellier
Afin de se donner toutes les chances de réussir et de concilier sa passion et son orientation professionnelle, il entre en 2014 en Master 2 commerce électronique, qui est pour lui le secteur porteur par excellence. Son but à terme étant de créer sa propre entreprise de e-commerce
