http://www.microsoft.com/government/_layouts/feed.aspx?xsl=1&web=/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog&page=2bd0381a-6483-48c6-866d-5dd35b582bc3&wp=e282fbd4-7ffc-468d-9ca0-e274fa1c6569&pageurl=/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/default.aspx&pID=flt23Thoughts, comments, news, and reflection from the Microsoft Government team.60http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=279&aID=4Pioneering an enterprise network telephony solution, a city council in Australia reduced its costs by 75 percent and built a more mobile, productive and collaborative workforce with support for anywhere, anytime working.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2013-03-20 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=252&aID=4In one city’s quest to deliver a great learning experience to students while balancing costs, learn how a switch to Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 was able to deliver results on both fronts, and what went into the decision to migrate.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2013-02-04 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=242&aID=16In the midst of global urbanization and at a time of transformation for cities, read how a new organization is making it easier for cities around the world to collaborate and learn from one other’s experiences.Elias Ramos, Western Europe Government Director2013-01-15 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=238&aID=6In the race to stay competitive, a city’s local culture and recreational amenities can offer a big advantage. More than ever, technology is helping shape this “cultural experience” for urban-dwellers. Want to learn how? Read more here...Eric Basha, Managing Director, Cities2013-01-07 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=226&aID=71As urbanization continues to take off around the world, what health impacts will citizens face? Learn how government leaders, professionals, communities, and citizens are taking action with technology to build healthier cities.Mark Day, Managing Director, Public Health & Social Services, Worldwide Public Sector2012-12-10 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=225&aID=16In this video case study, we explore the city of Barcelona’s innovative IT practices, including open data initiatives, and how they’re paying off by helping the city solve complex challenges and encourage economic development. Elias Ramos, Western Europe Government Director2012-12-07 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=208&aID=6Read observations from the Smart City Expo World Congress that consider what truly makes for a “Smart City” and how a broad range of technologies can help cities reach their goals. This is the first post in a bi-weekly Monday series on cities.Eric Basha, Managing Director, Cities2012-11-26 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=182&aID=4Citizens expect higher levels of customer service from their governments than ever before. Learn how the City of Miami is addressing these demands, and generating revenue in the process.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-10-09 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=176&aID=46Learn how technology plays a critical role in advancing modern cities as well as energy efficiency and sustainability.David Burrows, Managing Director of Government Industry, Europe, Middle East & Africa 2012-09-25 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=173&aID=49Egyptian World Heritage site launches a mobile app for Windows 7 devices to enhance and revitalize the local tourism experience.Yasser Hassan, Government Industry Director, Middle East and Africa2012-09-18 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=158&aID=4Learn about new technology designed to improve public safety for citizens across the globe.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-08-09 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=110&aID=10Find out how these unique events engage citizens and government organizations in dialogue to affect change.Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno, Managing Director Government, Worldwide Public Sector2012-04-26 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=107&aID=3Read highlights from sessions that demonstrate how technology is helping governments achieve real results and make a positive impact on citizens. Joel Cherkis, General Manager, Worldwide Government and Security 2012-04-25 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=105&aID=4Find out what public sector IT leaders are talking about in London this week.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-04-23 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=98&aID=34Find out how Canadian cities are involving citizens in the planning/budgeting process.Rob Corazzola, Municipal Government Industry Manager, Microsoft Canada 2012-04-12 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=91&aID=4Find out how some governments are embracing open government while still protecting sensitive data. Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-03-29 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=58&aID=18Learn how to create a robust, easy to change licensing and permit system that facilitates business growth and development, and allows you to collect government data and revenue more effectively.Glenn Berg, Provincial Government Industry Manager, Microsoft Canada2012-01-26 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=49&aID=4Learn how your organization can save on its energy consumption - and spending - by making your buildings more energy smart.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-01-12 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=46&aID=4Learn more about one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways that your organization can save money: By moving to an IP-based phone system.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2012-01-03 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=34&aID=6Learn how your city can leverage cloud computing to become more energy smart, and address the challenges of managing a smarter grid.Eric Basha, Managing Director, Cities2011-12-19 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=40&aID=4Read the next installment of our Saving Governments Money series to find ways that the cloud can help your organization simplify and streamline its IT resources.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2011-12-15 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=39&aID=7Learn how one agency is using a hybrid cloud model to support smart forms.Gordon McKenzie, Government Solutions Lead, Worldwide Public Sector2011-12-13 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=29&aID=4The city of London is taking advantage of the Windows Azure cloud platform to manage 2.3 million web site hits a day. Learn how.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2011-11-29 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=26&aID=11Find out how some Microsoft partners are building brilliant solutions for more energy-efficient cities.Per Bendix Olsen, Senior Director, Partners, Public Sector, Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa2011-11-17 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=17&aID=4I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Josh Henretig (Director, Environmental Sustainability, Microsoft) about the smart building project launched to help Microsoft reduce carbon emissions per unit of revenue by at least 30 percent by 2012.Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2011-10-25 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=12&aID=10Building smarter cities goes hand-in-hand with using resources more effectively. To eliminate waste and improve efficiency, many cities have considered deploying an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system – if they haven’t already. Rodrigo Becerra Mizuno, Managing Director Government, Worldwide Public Sector2011-10-10 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=11&aID=7​Mayor Boris Johnson urged Londoners to help spruce up the capital by reporting “grime crime” such as graffiti, and litter. The innovative “Love Clean London” system enables users to track progress of cleanups and delivers financial savings for boroughs. Gordon McKenzie, Government Solutions Lead, Worldwide Public Sector2011-10-06 00:00:00http://www.microsoft.com/government/en-gulf/public-services/blog/Pages/post.aspx?postID=3&aID=4Information technology is the common language and platform of governance today, empowering public sector organizations to collaborate, operate more effectively, increase efficiency and transparency, and to develop greater accountability to the citizen. Michele Bedford Thistle, Marketing Manager, Worldwide Public Sector2011-09-14 00:00:00