Microsoft Case Studies

Doug Holmes has written more than 75 best practice case studies for Microsoft, highlighting the use of computer solutions developed by Microsoft and its technology partners for public sector organizations around the world.

Featured Cases

Inter-Agency Collaboration Simplifies Reporting Obligations for Business
Three Norwegian government agencies – the Tax Directorate, the National Registry Office, and Statistics Norway – cooperated to establish a common electronic reporting channel for businesses to file government forms. The ‘Altinn’ system is accessible over the Web or can be integrated with companies’ own information systems. The project is one of the most high-profile initiatives of the ‘eNorway 2005’ strategy and is spearheading further e-government development in Norway.

Online Filing Reduces Costs and Speeds Up Processing of Tax Returns
The Slovenian government has deployed an eTax system that allows individuals and companies to file taxes through a Web portal using a digital certificate issued by any registered certification authority in the country. The system is creating new efficiencies for the Tax Administration and greater conveniences for taxpayers.

Online Duty Payment Speeds Up Customs Clearance
The Slovak government has certified a commercial operator to provide an online customs duty payment service that allows traders to make payments directly through their regular bank. The ‘SIOUX’ service lets customs officers release declared goods within minutes after a trader has arranged payment. The service is managed under a unique public-private partnership, at no cost to the government.

Healthcare Integration Platform Enables Seamless Chain of Care
Murcia Regional Healthcare Service in Spain replaced 80 ageing hospital systems with 10 new systems. Each application is connected to a central patient database and information is shared through a ‘Healthcare Integrator’, forming the basis of an electronic health record that is accessible to patients and healthcare professionals in any hospital or healthcare center in the region.

Transactional Portal Helps Bring Information Society to Remote Corner of Europe
The Trás-os-Montes regional portal in Portugal provides transactional public services to citizens and emigrants on behalf of 31 small municipalities and other public entities such as the Health Service, Social Security, and Department of Agriculture. Together with 84 small one-stop shops scattered across the region, the portal uses a Web-based workflow application to direct citizen requests to the relevant public service provider. The system is part of a university outreach project that is helping to lay the foundations of an information society in a rural and remote corner of Europe.

All Microsoft Case Studies written by Doug Holmes, listed by country (1998-2005)

Australia
• Australian Taxation Office banks future on Web technology, paves way for G2B e-commerce (2002)
• Department of Education, Science and Training switches off mainframe, moves mission-critical systems to Microsoft technology (2002)
• Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business: Corporate knowledge retained with workflow solution (2001)

Austria
• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor: Foreign Imports Clear Customs Faster, Under Tighter Control with Online Licensing System (2003)
• Interior Ministry: Standardization improves communication, efficiency (1999)

Belgium
• Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Cooperation: Ministry speeds up application development, addresses security concerns, improves service (2003)
• Ministry of Defense, FedICT: XML Web services simplifies administrative procedures and enables integrated e-procurement (2003)
• Belgian Post: Web Technology Transforms Post Office into Customer-Orientated Marketing Organization (2003)
• Walloon Employment Service (FOREM): Employment Service Exchange Lays Foundation for Cross-Border European Labor Market (2003)
• City of Antwerp: Municipality embraces .NET as standard for convenient, 24/7 electronic service delivery (2003)
• Federal Police: Criminal Suspects Meet their Match with Face Recognition Technology (2002)
• National Office for Family Allowances: Social benefits agency improves services with greater knowledge (2000)

Canada
• New Brunswick serves hunters, improves wildlife management with computerized moose draw (2001)
• Fisheries and Oceans: Canada automates interaction with fishermen to better monitor Atlantic fish stocks (2001)

Croatia
• E-Government Portal: G2G scenario (2002)

Czech Republic
• Customs Directorate: Going online, in line with Europe (2000)

Denmark
• Copenhagen Hospital Corporation: Ultimate demand for integration (2001)
• Danish Army: DACCIS providing an instant overview of the battlefield (1999)

European Union
• Europol: European police collaborate in fight against crime (1999)

Egypt
• Giza Investment Atlas guides investors (2000)

France
• Parthenay: An urban social laboratory of the information society (1999)
• Parthenay: Small is beautiful (1998)

Germany
• Hamburg: Cross-cutting e-government solutions roll out onto central backbone (2001)
• Weinstadt: News, views and public services – online (1999)

Greece
• Corfu communities co-operate over the web (1999)

Hungary
• Public Employment Service: Portal Links Local Offices and Aggregates Data to Help both Agency Staff and Jobseekers (2004)

India
• Madhya Pradesh: Gyandoot: a "messenger of knowledge" for rural India (2000)

Israel
• Ministry of Finance: Unified e-Government Infrastructure Enables Inter-agency Workflow for Seamless Public Services (2005)

Italy
• Arma dei Carabinieri: Portal and Intranet Solution Improves Internal Communications and Enables Cohesion (2005)
• Policlinico Gemelli Hospital, Rome: Wireless ward system allows nurses to record and retrieve data instantly at patients' bedside (2001)
• City of Siena: SienaStore develops local e-commerce while preserving Tuscan heritage (2001)
• Casale Monferrato: Sharing registry information for more effective public services (1999)
• Bologna establishes a digital democracy (1998)

Latvia
• Riga City Council: Portal, Data Center and Redesigned Processes Combine to Provide Citizen-Centric Services (2003)
• City of Ventspils: New IT Infrastructure and Municipal Portal Enable Integrated, Accessible Public Services (2003)

Lebanon
• Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform: Thousands of government forms available from a single access point (2002)

Malta
• Ministry for Information Technology and Investment: Electronic Identity Solution Ensures Public Trust in e-Government (2003)

NATO
• NATO agency goes online to provide customer service to military commands and contractors (2001)
• NATO agency builds bidding system for defence industry (2001)
• NATO agency migrates to 'newer' work environment (1999)
• Diversity of military users pick a Thistle (1999)

Netherlands
• Royal Netherlands Army: ‘Living’ Architecture Brings Command and Control into the Information Age (2005)
• Royal Netherlands Army: Netherlands prepared for modern defence era with ISIS (1999)
• Defence Ministry standardises business systems (1999)

Norway
• Inter-agency Collaboration Simplifies Reporting Obligations for Business (2004)

Oman
• Municipality of Muscat: Portal Enables City Employees to Share Information and Collaborate (2004)

Poland
• Ministry of Finance: Faster Customs Procedures and Tighter Border Controls pave way for EU Accession (2003)

Portugal
• Water Institute: River Flow Monitoring System Improves Forecasting and Response to Floods and Droughts (2005)
• Municipality of Cascais: Technology Backbone Enables Automated Workflow and New Way of Working (2005)
• Innovation and Knowledge Society Unit: Portal and Process Reengineering Helps Bring Government Closer to Citizens (2004)
• Directorate General for Public Administration: Online Job Marketplace Promotes Career Mobility and More Flexible Civil Service (2004)
• University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro: Transactional Portal Helps Bring Information Society to Remote Corner of Europe (2004)
• Citizen's Shops cut across departmental boundaries to improve service delivery (2000)

Romania
• Ministry of Administration and Interior: Romania Meets EU Enlargement Criteria with Visa Processing and Migration Control Solution (2004)
• Ministry of Communications and Information Technology: e-Procurement system reduces costs, provides transparency and accountability (2002)

Slovakia
• Ministry of Justice: Court Case Management System Speeds Up Justice and Reduces Perception of Corruption (2003)
• Customs Directorate: Online Duty Payment Speeds Up Customs Clearance (2004)

Slovenia
• Employment Service: Consistent, Integrated Data Helps Employment Agency Match Right Person with Right Job (2004)
• Tax Administration: Online Filing Reduces Costs and Speeds Up Processing of Tax Returns (2004)

South Africa
• Gauteng Province: Provincial government works smarter (1999)

Spain
• Murcia Regional Healthcare Service: Integration Platform Enables Seamless Chain of Care (2004)
• Government of Catalonia: Platform for Seamless Services Helps Transform Citizen Relationships (2002)
• Secretary General of Tourism: New Tourism Portal for the New Tourist (2002)
• Ministry of Finance: Portal Provides the 'Right Tools' for New Procedures and e-Procurement (2002)
• Ministry of Health and Consumption: Intranet unifies medical research community (1999)
• State Secretariat for Trade, Tourism and SMEs: Global Network unifies distant and diverse offices (1999)
• Government of Navarra: Integrated public services provide added value for the citizen (1999)

Sweden
• Kista Portal: the epitome of integration (2000)
• Sweden opens the home PC market, and closes the skills gap (1999)

United Arab Emirates
• Dubai Ports and Customs: B2B customs clearing system unifies Dubai cargo community (2000)

United Kingdom
• London Borough of Lewisham leads Avanti project (2002)
• Government Gateway addresses challenges to joined-up transactions (2001)
• Inland Revenue rises to the challenges of changing society (2001)
• Ministry of Defence focuses on e-business with enabling infrastructure (2001)
• Towards e-government: the UK eGovernment Interoperability Framework (2000)
• British Army: TEDY keeps track of military assets deployed in the operational theatre of former Yugoslavia (1999)
• Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise, Social Security: UK launches I-forms (1998)

United States
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services: MassCARES: a coordinated, collaborative approach to human services (2001)
• Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: Regulatory Agency Streamlines Processing of Business Licenses with Integrated, Online Services (2001)