(last updated: March 29, 2004)

At Microsoft, we are committed to protecting your privacy. This privacy statement applies to the Microsoft Product Support Services (“PSS”) offline services and its family of Web sites, including:

• http://support.microsoft.com
• http://www.microsoft.com/support
• http://www.support.microsoft.com
• http://ra.microsoft.com
• http://webresponse.one.microsoft.com
• https://premier.microsoft.com
• https://mvp.support.microsoft.com

It governs data collection and usage at all PSS sites and services; it does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products or services. By using PSS sites and services, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.

Collecting your Personal Information
We will ask you when we need information that personally identifies you (personal information) or allows us to contact you. Generally, this information is requested when you are requesting assistance or support, registering to enter a contest, ordering e-mail newsletters, joining a limited-access premium site, signing up for an event or training, or when purchasing and/or registering Microsoft products. The information we collect may include:

• First and last name
• E-mail address
• Address
• Country
• Telephone number
• Company name
• The access id and password for your Microsoft Business Support Offerings (e.g. Premier, Essential, Alliance, etc.) contract
• Credit card number, expiration date, and billing address if you choose a service or transaction that requires payment

We may also collect hardware, software, and other information related to support incidents. This may include: information about the condition of the computer and the application when the fault occurred and during diagnostics, system and registry data about software installations and hardware configurations, and error tracking files.

We may collect certain information about your visits to the PSS family of Web sites such as the name of the Internet service provider and the Internet Protocol (IP) address through which you access the Internet; the date and time you access the site; the pages that you access while at the site and the Internet address of the Web site from which you linked directly to our site. This information is used to help improve the sites, analyze trends, and administer the sites.

Some of the PSS Web sites use .NET Passport to provide sign-in and registration services. In order to sign in to the sites using .NET Passport, you will be asked to type your e-mail address and a password. This same Passport sign-in allows you to access many other Passport participating sites and services. If you create a .NET Passport at a PSS Web site, you are simultaneously registering with the site and opening a .NET Passport account. All of the registration information you provide will be stored by the site, and some or all of that information will also be stored by .NET Passport in your Passport profile. To learn more about the Passport service, the information stored in the Passport profile, and how Passport uses and helps to protect your personal information, please read the .NET Passport privacy statement at http://www.passport.net/Consumer/PrivacyPolicy.asp?PPlcid=1033.

Use of your Personal Information
The personal information Microsoft collects will be used to operate the PSS Web sites and provide the services or carry out the transactions 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 PSS Web sites and any related Microsoft products or services, and to make the PSS Web sites easier to use by eliminating the need for you to repeatedly enter the same information or by customizing the PSS Web sites to your particular preference or interests. We may also send you surveys about your experience with our current services or thoughts about potential new services that may be offered.

We may use your personal information to provide you with important information about the product or service that you are using, including critical updates and notifications. Additionally, with your permission, we may send you information about other Microsoft products and services, and/or share information with Microsoft partners so they may send you information about their products and services.

Microsoft Business Support Offerings (e.g. Premier, Essential, Alliance, etc.) may send periodic e-mails informing you of technical service issues related to a product or service you requested. You will not be able to choose to unsubscribe to these mailings, as they are considered an essential part of the service you have requested. These services may also periodically telephone you for a survey of your experience with our current services, thoughts about potential new services that may be offered or to alert you to critical security issues.

We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as handling the processing and delivery of mailings, providing customer support, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of that information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Microsoft may access and/or 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 its family of Web sites, or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft products or services, or members of the public.

Personal information collected by PSS 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 this site, 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.

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

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

Access to your Personal Information
To review and edit your personal information collected by PSS, contact us by e-mail at psspriv@microsoft.com or postal mail at:

Product Support Services Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052

Security of your Personal Information
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 t through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

Cookies
Cookies are used on the PSS Web sites. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. For example, if you personalize a web page, or navigate within a site, a cookie helps the site to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of delivering relevant content, eases site navigation, and so on. When you return to the web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the site's features that you customized.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you will be able to submit support requests, but you may not be able to sign into Passport. Passport is required to track incidents online.

Links to Other Web Sites
The PSS Web sites may contain links to other Web sites. Please be aware that this privacy statement applies solely to the information collected on the PSS Web sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of other Web sites. We encourage you to be aware when you are leaving the PSS Web sites and read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that you visit before providing any personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Statement
We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will also revise the "last updated" date at the top of the 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 PSS Web 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.

Contact Information
Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. If you believe that Microsoft has not adhered to this statement, please contact us by e-mail at psspriv@microsoft.com or by postal mail at the address provided below and we will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine and remedy the problem.

Product Support Services Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052

To find contact details for the Microsoft subsidiary or affiliate in your country or region, see http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide.