With these blueprints -- which are based on Microsoft .NET technology -- government agencies have an alternative to building systems from the ground up, said Microsoft in a statement.
"Accenture and Microsoft are working together to assist governments in their aspiration to be more efficient, saving time and money while at the same time targeting government resources on measurable results that citizens value," said Mark Younger, partner in the government operating unit at Accenture.
Commitment to Public Sector
The announcement underscores Microsoft's commitment to the public sector -- not only as a technology vendor, but also as a solutions provider -- through its collaboration with Accenture and other consultants and systems integrators in the public sector.
In addition to building custom systems for large public sector projects, the company now is working with partners to deliver repeatable technologies that can be offered to organizations around Europe, including smaller governmental agencies with limited funding. According to Kable Research, the public sector represents approximately 11.5 percent of the total IT market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"Microsoft has traditionally been associated with large-scale development projects for well-funded government agencies in Europe, but the fact is, governments of all sizes face similar challenges," said Pete Hayes, vice president, public sector, Microsoft Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "The solution blueprints developed with Accenture are giving organizations access to proven, preconfigured technology solutions and best practices."
Aggregated from Customer Implementations
The public sector blueprints are aggregated from numerous customer implementations by Microsoft and Accenture, which are operating in government agencies around Europe. Solution blueprints for law and security include integrated policing, intelligence and investigation, crime pattern analysis, customs management, immigration management and emergency planning.
The Rheinland-Pfalz Department of Police in Germany used a solution blueprint to update its systems to give officers better access to traffic accident information, criminal statistics and geographical police information. According to Microsoft, the applications have reduced the amount of time police officers need to spend logging information, giving them more time to patrol the streets instead of working behind a desk.
"The speed of this development and the quality of the applications demonstrate that we chose the right technology," said Matthias Bongarth, chief project lead from the Rheinland-Pfalz Ministry of Interior and Sport. "With our statewide Microsoft infrastructure already in place, the .NET software proved to be the most cost-effective and flexible choice for us."
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. It employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
Quelle: E-Commerce Times, 27.05.2004
