Norwegian public sector organisations will be banned from using Google Apps after the Norwegian data protection authorities ruled that the service could put citizens’ personal data at risk.

The data protection authority said Google Apps did not comply with Norwegian privacy laws because there was insufficient information about where data was being kept. The decision came from a test case in Narvik, where the local council had chosen to use Google Apps for their email.

The Norwegian ban comes just as things were going so well for Google Apps in Europe, with the company winning its largest ever contract with BBVA, the Spanish bank.

Oh. Well, there go the product placements in Forbrydelsen.

"The University of Nebraska is mothballing its aging IBM Lotus Notes email and calendaring system in favor of Microsoft's Office 365 cloud platform for a number of reasons, including access to newer technology, greater flexibility, and operational savings.<br />
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"And one other big reason--the university will receive $250,000 in givebacks from Microsoft to underwrite the switch under a little-known program Redmond calls Business Incentive Funds."<br />
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Sometimes Microsoft has an odd approach to making a profit. How long will this take to pay back?