It has come to our attention in recent months that a fair amount of interest has been shown in Microsoft Azure's Purview tool, so we thought we would take this opportunity to talk about it! The first, and most important question to tackle is... What is Purview?
Now, we could take the easy route and Google a description for you, or even use one of those new-fangled LLMs to write something that is factually correct, but perhaps lacking the insights actually working with this tool offers, but we have decided that an honest exploration of the tool and its uses will prove to be more beneficial.
It is difficult to discuss Purview without considering what it means to some of its userbase, for it is different things to different people. Purview, for those who might still be blissfully unaware, is Microsoft’s suite for data governance and compliance. It’s nestled in amongst 20+ admin centres, but here’s the difficulty: defining what Purview is depends entirely on who you ask. It’s the quintessential blind men and the elephant scenario. Let’s break it down by some of the roles that interact with this enigmatic beast.
Compliance Officers: The True Believers
Compliance officers are the ones who practically worship the Purview deity. To them, it’s the holy grail of data governance. They see it as a comprehensive solution that ensures their organisation adheres to all the regulations, from GDPR to CCPA. With Purview, they can map data flows, classify information, and manage risk. It’s the tool that helps them sleep at night, knowing they’ve done their due diligence.
Something to take into account here is that compliance officers love Purview because it’s designed to tick their boxes. Compliance reporting? Check. Risk management? Check. Policies and controls? Check. They don’t care about speed or user experience – they just want to avoid fines and regulatory nightmares.
