Microsoft"s UK chief security officer Stuart Okin has sought to reassure users concerned by its controversial plans for security and digital rights management technology dubbed Palladium.
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He said: "Nothing is set in stone here. The important aspect is for the industry to give us feedback. We"re looking at 2004 or 2005 before any technology arrives."
"This [Palladium] allows you to do a whole host of different things. A user is given great control over privacy, and can ensure non-repudiation in any transaction. It will also enable rogue software to be "sandboxed" inside the machine so it can be run safely without affecting the rest of the system."
However much of Okin"s message will not quiet the concerns of privacy activists. He confirmed the software would enable Digital Rights Management technology - potentially allowing someone else to determine what files or applications can run on your machine. He also confirmed Microsoft could use the technology to clamp down on licensing. He said: "Theoretically this can be used for pretty much anything. It gives an enormous amount power - but it also gives this power to the user."
Microsoft would not determine the policies adopted on the technology - that, he said, was down to the industry to decide.