BILBAO, Spain, April 22 /PRNewswire/ --

- Biscay government launches first-ever citizen services project that 
meets EU i2010 Agenda directives; creation of government innovation centre in
Bilbao; Microsoft launches Business Value Framework to deliver taxpayer value
for money across local government.

More than 300 local and regional government elites, IT professionals and
executives gathered in Bilbao, Spain, this week for Microsoft Corp's third
annual Local and Regional Government Solutions Forum. The forum coincides
with two key announcements made by Microsoft including the launch of
Microsoft's Business Value Framework for local government and Microsoft's
partnership with the Biscay government to carry out one of Europe's most
extensive IT infrastructure and citizen services projects, serving 1.2
million citizens and 112 municipalities. Full details of the Microsoft-Biscay
partnership will be unveiled at the forum alongside the Biscay government's
vision for modernising government services and the creation of an e-GOV
Innovation Center in Bilbao, the "Bizkaia European Microsoft Citizenship
Services & e-Government Center".

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

The forum will also demonstrate Biscay's capacity as an international
showcase of the latest technology for citizen services, while providing
essential benchmarking against the EU i2010 Agenda. The goal of this project
is to bring government and citizens closer together, improve the level of
services provided by the government, and drive operational efficiencies
across the municipalities. Central to Biscay's approach to technology-driven
citizen services is its commitment to apply the valuable principles of
customer relationship management (CRM) to the delivery of local government
and citizen services, while delivering value for money.

"As co-host of the third Local and Regional Government Forum, I am
delighted to showcase our work here in Biscay through the development of our
citizen service platform known as Lantik TK," said Jose Luis Bilbao,
president of the Regional Government of Biscay. "This will dramatically
change the way in which our entire region uses technology and it will
revolutionise the way in which government operates within the region.
Throughout the duration of the forum we will highlight the exciting range of
services where technology can make a real impact, including our exciting
plans for the e-GOV Innovation Center in Bilbao. Here in Biscay we are well
and truly committed to using technology to revolutionise the delivery of
local citizen services."

Microsoft's Business Value Framework: Revolutionising Local
Government Business Value

A central theme of this year's forum is the economic and political
challenge of measuring local government performance in terms of service
delivery and value for money. As local governments face mounting pressure to
reduce costs and demonstrate taxpayer value, they are also under pressure to
support the wider political commitment of investing in jobs as part of the
economic recovery programme. To help achieve this challenge, Microsoft's new
Business Value Framework is helping local government in Spain and the United
Kingdom achieve operational efficiencies across a range of governmental
departments through better use of web-based tools, more efficient ICT
operations and e-forms for many routine procedures enabling cost reductions.
This leads to metrics to identify the following:

- Office cost savings, up to 6.4 million pounds Sterling in the case of
      the City of Edinburgh Council's "Smart City" programme, the restructure 
      and refresh of the Council's computers, servers and software 
      applications. This will deliver technologies that will enable BT, the 
      Council's strategic ICT partner, to manage the Council's IT estate more 
      effectively and save 8.5 million pounds Sterling over four years for 
      Wakefield District Council through reducing office space by 33 per cent.
    - Increases in caseworker productivity and reduced travel costs by 36
      per cent for Wakefield District Council.
    - Reduced CO2 emissions, up to 2,300 tonnes per annum for the City of
      Edinburgh Council.
    - Reduced ICT costs by up to 71 per cent for the City of Edinburgh
      Council.



The forum will discuss the implications of Microsoft's Business Value
Framework in terms of realistic year-on-year cost savings for local
governments. Key examples will include the Biscay Government (Spain),
Edinburgh City Council (Scotland) and Wakefield District Council in Yorkshire
(UK), where Microsoft's Business Value Framework has achieved significant
cost savings, greater productivity and efficiencies across local government,
resulting in net savings to taxpayers. In 2006-2009 the Business Value
Framework has enabled Edinburgh City Council to achieve 12 million pounds
Sterling in operational savings, resulting in a 9 pounds Sterling per year
saving to council taxpayers.

The UK examples are illustrative of the pressures to deliver value for
money as outlined by national government in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending
Review (CSR07) period (2008-09 to 2010-11), in which local authorities are
required to collectively achieve 4.9 billion pounds Sterling in
cash-releasing efficiency gains.

"Our annual event brings together thought leaders from around the world
in practical innovation for local and regional governments and public sector
innovation," said Gordon McKenzie, director for Worldwide Local and Regional
Government at Microsoft, speaking in advance of the forum. "This year, we are
delighted to be co-hosting this event with the Biscay government and to be
taking such a revolutionary step forward with them in terms of transforming
the way they manage their IT infrastructure and the services they offer their
citizens. The forum this year will also showcase practical examples as to how
local governments can meet the challenges of efficiency savings and a lower
environmental footprint through some of the new solutions pioneered by
Microsoft and our partners."

Further information about the third Worldwide Local and Regional
Government Solutions Forum can be found online at
http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre/LocalRegionalForumVPR/default.mspx

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.