Microsoft hosts Worldwide Government Solutions Forum 2011
Microsoft hosts Worldwide Government Solutions Forum 2011 covering how the cloud is powering future government.
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Microsoft’s Worldwide Government Solutions Forum takes place 6-7 April in Rome, bringing together partners, customers and international public sector experts to discuss how more effective citizen services can be delivered. With a focus on how the cloud is powering future governments, the forum will look at the innovative but cost-effective solutions available to the public sector and showcase some of the best uses of technology for citizens.
In addition, Microsoft today announced that it will provide private cloud services to the Government of Catalonia – transferring 105,000 users to email services via Exchange 2010. Read the full release here.
Further materials:
- Worldwide Government Solutions Forum website
- Event page at Microsoft.eu
- White paper: Connected Government Framework
- The Economics of Cloud Computing for the EU Public Sector
- Health and Wellbeing: faster, better, broader and cheaper-Why Europe must reach for Cloud computing
- Cloud computing and Sustainability: the Environmental Benefits of Moving to the Cloud
- Search the hashtag #gsfrome on Twitter for more updates and tweets from the opening
Press Release
Microsoft Provides Private Cloud Services to Government of Catalonia
The Government of Catalonia will use Exchange 2010 to reduce costs across 144,000 civil servants.
ROME — 6 April 2011 — Microsoft Corp today announced that it will provide private cloud services to the Government of Catalonia — transferring 105,000 users to email services via Exchange 2010, with capability to manage up to 144,000 users. The initiative will generate savings varying from 20 per cent in the migration from previous Exchange versions up to 83 per cent in those from previous operator email services. Catalonia Government becomes one best practice in Europe with the use of cloud computing to provide flexible services and reduce costs.
Moving and consolidating email services to the private cloud in the new datacenter of the Catalonian Government will increase productivity and flexibility for the civil servants, with a combination of heavy and light users across one application. In addition, users will benefit from security-enhanced performance, a reliable service, increased capabilities, and access to services anytime, anywhere. The Government of Catalonia is leveraging with this initiative the reduction of energy consumption, high availability, and the savings of server consolidation and virtualization with Microsoft Windows Server and Hyper-V technologies.
The project is part of increased efforts by the Government of Catalonia to deploy private cloud solutions, including the new 16,000-square-meter datacenter to support more than 300 government institutions and around 230,000 users. This investment in the datacenter has allowed new synergies to be realized, with additional investment also being made in Catalonia with a private broadband network to link public buildings, such as schools, hospitals and government premises.
"Ensuring our IT operations are efficient while remaining reliable and guarded is a key priority in on-going, successful government operations,” said Carles Flamerich, Director General for Telecommunications and Information Society of the Government of Catalonia. “Microsoft’s solution delivers this — setting it apart from competitors with a service that will reduce our deployment and administration costs substantially with great access to features and easy management."
"At a time when governments globally are working with tighter budgets than ever before, the Catalonian Government’s decision to increase its use of cloud technology through Exchange 2010 is a positive step in increasing the effectiveness of its IT operations," said Niels Soelberg, Vice President, Microsoft Public Sector Europe, Middle East & Africa. "Given Catalonia’s existing commitment to the cloud, we are looking forward to moving this relationship further — both within Catalonia and the wider Spanish government — and finding additional ways that cloud technologies can help improve the way they work."
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is the latest version of the premier Microsoft enterprise messaging and collaboration product — allowing efficient and cost-effective unified communications by consolidating email, instant messaging, conferencing and voicemail into one, easily managed platform. Users also benefit from anytime, anywhere access in the cloud via a range of devices, with no need for third-party software or services."
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.
Microsoft PR Contacts
David Lucas, Weber Shandwick
Phone: +44 207 067 0189
E-mail: dlucas@webershandwick.com
Microsoft EMEA Response Centre
E-mail: emearesponse@webershandwick.com
Note to editors
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/emea/presscentre. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at the time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact the appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/emea/presscentre/contactus.mspx.
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft Corp, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news on Microsoft's corporate information pages.
The Government of Catalonia will use Exchange 2010 to reduce costs across 144,000 civil servants.
ROME — 6 April 2011 — Microsoft Corp today announced that it will provide private cloud services to the Government of Catalonia — transferring 105,000 users to email services via Exchange 2010, with capability to manage up to 144,000 users. The initiative will generate savings varying from 20 per cent in the migration from previous Exchange versions up to 83 per cent in those from previous operator email services. Catalonia Government becomes one best practice in Europe with the use of cloud computing to provide flexible services and reduce costs.
Moving and consolidating email services to the private cloud in the new datacenter of the Catalonian Government will increase productivity and flexibility for the civil servants, with a combination of heavy and light users across one application. In addition, users will benefit from security-enhanced performance, a reliable service, increased capabilities, and access to services anytime, anywhere. The Government of Catalonia is leveraging with this initiative the reduction of energy consumption, high availability, and the savings of server consolidation and virtualization with Microsoft Windows Server and Hyper-V technologies.
The project is part of increased efforts by the Government of Catalonia to deploy private cloud solutions, including the new 16,000-square-meter datacenter to support more than 300 government institutions and around 230,000 users. This investment in the datacenter has allowed new synergies to be realized, with additional investment also being made in Catalonia with a private broadband network to link public buildings, such as schools, hospitals and government premises.
"Ensuring our IT operations are efficient while remaining reliable and guarded is a key priority in on-going, successful government operations,” said Carles Flamerich, Director General for Telecommunications and Information Society of the Government of Catalonia. “Microsoft’s solution delivers this — setting it apart from competitors with a service that will reduce our deployment and administration costs substantially with great access to features and easy management."
"At a time when governments globally are working with tighter budgets than ever before, the Catalonian Government’s decision to increase its use of cloud technology through Exchange 2010 is a positive step in increasing the effectiveness of its IT operations," said Niels Soelberg, Vice President, Microsoft Public Sector Europe, Middle East & Africa. "Given Catalonia’s existing commitment to the cloud, we are looking forward to moving this relationship further — both within Catalonia and the wider Spanish government — and finding additional ways that cloud technologies can help improve the way they work."
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is the latest version of the premier Microsoft enterprise messaging and collaboration product — allowing efficient and cost-effective unified communications by consolidating email, instant messaging, conferencing and voicemail into one, easily managed platform. Users also benefit from anytime, anywhere access in the cloud via a range of devices, with no need for third-party software or services."
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corp shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.
Microsoft PR Contacts
David Lucas, Weber Shandwick
Phone: +44 207 067 0189
E-mail: dlucas@webershandwick.com
Microsoft EMEA Response Centre
E-mail: emearesponse@webershandwick.com
Note to editors
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/emea/presscentre. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at the time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact the appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/emea/presscentre/contactus.mspx.
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft Corp, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news on Microsoft's corporate information pages.
