Canadian Organizations Use Microsoft® Office System To Turn Information Into Intelligence
Over 45,000 Canadian Beta Testers, Customers and Solution Providers Using Microsoft Office System
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Mississauga, Ontario — October 21, 2003 — Microsoft Canada Co. today announced that PCL Constructors, Alberta Cancer Board, and Fraser Health Authority are among the Canadian early users of Microsoft Office System software. More than 45,000 Canadians participated in the beta test of the Microsoft Office System, which is designed to help provide effective teamwork, information intelligence, process management and personal productivity for their organizations.
"In today's increasingly complex, competitive business environment, customers are looking for software innovations that can help reduce information overload and impart new, competitive advantages," said Frank Clegg, President, Microsoft Canada Co. "Microsoft Office System is an easy way to help more people use information to positively impact their business. Through a system of familiar and easy-to-use programs, servers and services, users can connect people and organizations to information, business processes and each other - helping ensure that they derive the most value out of information."
Today's information workers operate in extremely dynamic environments, which constantly demand innovative solutions to meet their changing needs. Microsoft Office System transforms computing from standalone applications and activities to a more integrated front- and back-end use of information that help improve access to information, real-time teamwork, process management, and personal productivity.
"Businesses increasingly ask teams to work together across geographic and divisional boundaries. This task has proven difficult using traditional methods to manage communication, schedules, and file sharing," said Chris Cavanaugh, Professor of Management Communications, Ivey School of Business. "Microsoft Office System products are designed to integrate collaboration into the way employees work and help transfer knowledge across organizations."
Microsoft Office System Provides Information for Everyone
The Alberta Cancer Board (ACB) has selected Microsoft Office System to enable ACB's 1,800 employees throughout the province to share information and research on cancer. ACB implemented Windows® SharePoint Team Services and Portal Server, Microsoft Office 2003, InfoPathTM information gathering program and FrontPage® 2003 web site creation and management tool to ensure its researchers and physicians can effectively access, disseminate and collaborate on information.
"We needed a better way for our doctors and researchers to reliably access and share information to ensure that up-to-date patient, medication, education and research was getting to the appropriate staff as soon as it was available," said Holger Hanke, Director of Information Systems, Alberta Cancer Board. "The ease of use and integration of Microsoft Office System with other applications helps us to facilitate this transfer of knowledge across the organization empowering our doctors and researchers with the information needed to make better, faster and more accurate decisions for both their research and their patients."
The Microsoft Office System Enables Effective Teaming
PCL Constructors, one of the largest construction companies in Canada, is using Microsoft Office System to enable effective teamwork throughout its organization and to streamline business processes. Combining the power of Windows SharePoint Services with the familiarity of Office 2003 applications, PCL is providing a conduit for teamwork to occur across disciplines and locations of PCL employees.
"Teamwork and collaboration are fundamental to PCL Constructors and our construction teams across North America needed a better, easier way to work together," said Brian Ranger, General Manager of Systems and Technologies, PCL Constructors. "With Microsoft Office System, we are able to provide PCL employees with the tools they need to share information and work more effectively in teams, which positively impacts our bottom line."
The Microsoft Office System Streamlines Business Processes
The Fraser Health Authority (FHA) is a nonprofit regional hospital system based in Surrey, B.C. The FHA has 20,000 employees and provides a full range of medical services to 33 per cent of the province's population through 13 hospitals and dozens of community clinics. In 2001, the FHA was created by the merging of three regional healthcare authorities. Because of this merger, significant capital projects have been proposed and undertaken to standardize and connect IT systems. Project managers, business managers, and directors must manage projects and teams across multiple sites.
"With Microsoft Office System, we have streamlined workflow online and are able to better manage our capital project approval process," said James Orobko, Director, Information Systems, Fraser Health Authority. "We are using Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 forms to propose new projects, store proposals electronically on Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003, and automate workflow using BizTalk® Server 2002 to help facilitate more effective communication and improve efficiency."
About Microsoft Canada Co.
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Headquartered in Mississauga, Microsoft Canada has 10 regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Visit Microsoft Canada's web site at www.microsoft.ca
© 2003 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, BizTalk, FrontPage, InfoPath, SharePoint and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
