14 April 2001
The Egyptian government, in cooperation with Microsoft, is launching an e-government initiative expected to cut down on bureaucracy and speed up decision making within government departments.

CEO of Microsoft Corporation Steve Ballmer expressed his personal excitement about the agreement. "This e-government initiative confirms the commitment of the Egyptian government to embrace the NET revolution by using the technology to deliver new and better quality services to the public. This will not only facilitate effective communication between government departments but will improve broader Internet use as this will act as a major inducement to the whole Egyptian community to get online."

The announcement of this initiative comes after the signing of a cooperation agreement in Washington DC between the Egyptian Government represented by Minister of Communication and Information Technology Ahmed Nazif and Microsoft EMEA President Jean-Philippe Courtois during the US Chamber of Commerce Lunch Reception, held in the United States as part of the recent official visit, which also included a summit between President Hosni Mubarak and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush.

"The objective of this e-government initiative is to provide simpler and faster methods to fulfill standard citizens' requests from various government bodies. It also provides the framework to support intra-government collaboration for more timely and accurate information needed to facilitate decision-making.

"We are very pleased to have secured the cooperation of Microsoft Corporation in this program working alongside our teams of professionals to help bring in a global perspective," said Nazif.

Microsoft will be providing consulting services to support the Egyptian e-government initiatives throughout the duration of this agreement. "Microsoft is committed to supporting the government's plan to advance Egypt's progress in the digital economy. The Egyptian e-government team will have access to Microsoft specialists across the world, providing technical support, management feedback and knowledge sharing," said Courtois.

"The agreement stems from our desire to effectively adopt the latest technologies within a framework that insures professional implementation by Egyptian talents, leveraging the expertise of the number one software company in the world as well as complying with copyright laws and International treaties," said Nazif.

"The agreement is also expected to result in a substantial reduction in the software piracy rate in Egypt by setting an example and sending a strong message to the local, regional and international community on Egypt's commitment to enforce copyright laws," Nazif said.

Ahmed Fekry Middle East Times staff

© Middle East Times 2001