Why don't people use RMS (even at Microsoft)?

So, Microsoft has had RMS (Rights Management Server) implemented for at least 2 years.  This allows us to do things like deny people the ability to forward, copy to clipboard, or print any Office document.  This is most frequently used for confidential email.

My question is, why doesn’t anyone at Microsoft use this?  Only occasionally do I receive a Microsoft Internal mail that is protected.  The biggest champion for RMS at Microsoft was Brian Valentine, who was sick of seeing Internal Memos posted on Slashdot within a couple minutes after he sent it.  Yet, I have gotten emails from executives and none of them use RMS.

I think people fail to use RMS for two primary reasons:

1. Lack of training and “push” to all users.  I believe that RMS still requires an installation on the desktop and I don’t think that this is enforced from MSIT in terms of an SMS push.

2. Our executives don’t use it, so our employees don’t see the value in it.

BTW, my favorite feature in RMS is the “Do not reply all” template that is great when someone sends something to a large DL on accident and like 100 people start replying with “please take me off this thread”.  If you catch it early enough, you can use the template to prevent all the spam from people that have no idea how a DL works.

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2005
  I actually use this feature when I do not want people to FWD confidential e-mails. At MS our real secret sauce is already locked down pretty tight by other measures (including process as well as technology). I agree with the lack of education and desktop install in your post.