Government to Partner with Microsoft on E3 Solution Platform Initiative

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – 26th February 2015……The Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Information Technology will be signing a milestone agreement with Microsoft on Monday 2nd March 2015.

Microsoft officials arrived on island earlier this week, to discuss the particulars of the partnership with Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Hon. Melford Nicholas. 

The agreement will allow for the long awaited transformation of how government conducts business through the use of the “Microsoft Office 365” platform, which is being contracted through a Licensing Solutions Partner (LSP), SoftwareOne.

This programme is expected to create a portal for citizens to have better engagement with the government and also make more persons accountable for their work, through collaboration and inter office communication.

Developers say the platform will increase the country’s ease of doing business and will also facilitate the reduction of cost through more efficient and document management. 

Officials at Microsoft have indicated their delight in assisting the Government with this important initiative.

“We at Microsoft are grateful that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda are giving us the opportunity to collaborate with them to modernize the management of the government through technology. This modernization will ultimately transform the way employees work, improve transparency, and enhance the services provided to citizens,” mentioned Guillermo Almada, Public Sector lead for Microsoft Latin America Emerging Markets. “In addition to our joint efforts to help modernize the way the government operates, this partnership also allows us to help impact positively the development of society in key areas, including education.”

Representatives from SoftwareOne have also indicated their delight in partnering with Microsoft and the Government of Antigua on the new Enterprise Agreement and are looking forward to making the transition a seamless and successful one.

It is envisioned that Ministries and Government agencies will move ahead through the use of this top of the line full office programme and a wide range of integrated collaboration services, which are coupled with advanced compliance features and full IT power.

Through this platform, Government will be demonstrating leadership in the adoption and use of ICT Technology. This implementation will enable greater transparency, improved collaboration and the ease of doing business with the government. 

Minister Nicholas says the platform will further assist in the development of special initiatives within the Ministry of Education, assist in Human Capital Development and improve interactivity between citizens and the government, thus creating more openness, sharing, communication and collaboration. 

Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne, Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Hon. Melford Nicholas, Representatives from Microsoft Office and other Seniour Public Service Officials will be in attendance at the signing of the agreement, which will take place on Monday, 2nd March at the Office of the Prime Minister at 2 pm.

The agreement will also facilitate the placement of all employees within the government sector on a single domain (ab.gov.ag) for online communication purposes. 

Following Monday’s signing, teams will be on the ground to commence implementation and make presentations to various stakeholders to include: Cabinet, Permanent Secretaries, Seniour Government Officials and Information Technology Managers within Ministries. 

Implementation is expected to run over the next six months.