SHARE

American multinational technology company Microsoft is on a block chainstreak. In today’s statement, the company showcased a vast blockchain-related plan. This strategy entails a decentralized identity (DID) network that it will set up on top of bitcoin network. This is a move that will make it possible to empower users all over the internet control their personal content and data.

Microsoft has over the years focused on developing, manufacturing, licensing, supporting and consumer electronics and computer software. It also focuses on developing personal computers and a wide range of other related services.

Major developments

In May 2019, the business guru unveiled the Azure Blockchain Service- the company’s brand new service. It rolled this out together with an Azure Blockchain Development Kit in line with the Ethereum blockchain.

The American multinational technology is also teaming up with Starbucks and they want to unveil the first technological use case. Users will be empowered to track coffee production, from farm all the way to paper cups.

The set up of the blockchain-powered database system

Microsoft started speaking about the developments in the summer of 2017.The business guru back went into talks with Avanade and Accenture to set up a blockchain-powered database system. This was about enabling multiple parties share access to same data while upholding high level security and confidentiality.

The prototype-which runs on Microsoft Azure – will be supporting ID2020. Identity related challenges have been on the rise and the partnership seeks to develop working solutions. Sources indicate that these challenges affect over 1.1 billion people globally. More specifically, a larger number come from the less privileged social backgrounds. The lack of proper documentation has always excluded the less privileged from participating in cultural, political, economic and social life.

Experts point out to digital identity as the most ideal mechanisms to resolve most of the current issues. For example, the United Nations says it will be using it to help refugees who obviously make up a large part of the undocumented population.

U.N.’s high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi opined, “We want every refugee to have a unique digital identity”.