The Portuguese government is working to make Portugal one of the world's leading information societies. The Agency for the Modernization of the Public Administration (AMA) is chartered with leading digital initiatives across Portuguese society, including introducing e-government services. The agency worked with Microsoft, Accenture, and Siemens IT Solutions and Services to create an interoperability framework that allows multiple, incompatible government information systems to communicate with one another and share citizen-submitted data. The new framework is a critical first step in enabling the AMA to simplify citizen interaction with government. The framework will also reduce information processing time, lower the cost of government services, and enhance citizen data security.