State and local governments increase productivity and save millions with Office 365, Windows Azure and Surface Pro
Many state and local governments both across the U.S. and around the world are facing a number of unique challenges. In addition to being held responsible for finding modern and secure solutions to help save time and money, government leaders need to ensure that this technology enhances employee productivity and meets a range of standards and regulations. They also need to make sure these tools enable different departments to streamline efficiencies and improve collaboration among staff in disparate locations.
These requirements and features weighed heavily on the minds of those managing IT for a county in the U.S. State of North Carolina — Mecklenburg County — when they began looking to upgrade their technology. After evaluating the specific needs of the state’s most populous county, Cliff DuPuy, technical services director, turned to Microsoft’s suite of solutions. In fact, this month we announced the county’s deployment of 6,500 seats of Microsoft Office 365, 175 Microsoft Surface Pro devices, and 50 terabytes of Windows Azure.
As a result of this adoption, many departments throughout the county have realized significant improvements or cost savings. For instance:
- The Department of Youth and Family Services is using Surface Pro devices, combined with Office 365 and custom built-apps, to easily and remotely access documents while visiting clients. The department is reporting $3.2 million in productivity savings because of the Surface Pro pilot launch.
- The Department of Food Services built an app on the Office 365 platform to make it easier for health inspectors to access state applications.
- Medical Examiners are able to use OneNote on their Surface Pro devices to easily take notes.
- Parks and Recreation employees are using Office 365 to efficiently collect payments, quickly schedule venues, and integrate with the county’s financial system.
In addition to these enhancements, Mecklenburg County has been able to use these solutions to maintain its commitment to privacy and security as Microsoft’s cloud tools meet their specific requirements.
What’s more, the county’s employees are excited about the technology they’re using. We’re even hearing them say that these mobile and flexible tools are changing the way they work for the better.
These sentiments are exactly the kind we like to hear. They’re proof of how state and local governments can take advantage of our solutions to be more agile, streamlined, and collaborative, all the while driving down costs and keeping systems secure.
To learn more about Mecklenburg County’s move to Microsoft’s solutions, head on over to the Microsoft News Center.
