The tech giants that are Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Facebook have all teamed up for a data transfer project that is set to make it more convenient for users to move data from one platform or service to another. Specifically, the initiative named the ‘Data Transfer Project’ will hopefully allow individuals to just link their accounts using new API systems rather than having to download all their data and upload it again. As for what kind of data this could be, photos, contacts, emails, calendars and tasks are all set to be available for a seamless transfer.
As you may have noticed, Apple is not on the list of companies who have signed up, this is likely due to the fact that if they did it would allow their customers to move freely to and from their products rather than having to stay exclusively at the company. This is exactly the kind of behaviour Microsoft is trying to discourage as they are hoping to increase inter-company competition by encouraging as many companies as possible to sign up for the project. As for why this would work, if all data was shared among companies, the customer’s choice would come solely down to the quality of product offered rather than which company the individual has all their personal data signed up to.
