The Record - Issue 21: Summer 2021

134 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om the Government of India engaged Microsoft and partner Accenture to build an innovative platform that provided over one billion citizens with essen- tial and timely public health information through an artificial intelligence-enabled chatbot. Microsoft’s public health efforts include the Microsoft Vaccination Management, which is being scaled worldwide through a large network of partners, including Accenture, EY and Mazik Global. “Microsoft has built first-party solutions to fight Covid-19 and help distribute vaccines, and we work with our partners to support the unique needs of clients worldwide based on their geogra- phy, readiness and limitations,” says Glidden. The pandemic has driven organisations across all industries worldwide to rethink their phi- losophy for technology adoption and increase investments in digital for more efficient delivery of public services, according to new research by the Economist Intelligence Unit. “Countries around the world are increasingly embracing innovation and change across the public sector to better overcome shared global challenges,” says Glidden. “Our public sector cli- ents all share the same mission. Our role in the tech industry is to help them harness the power of digital to put people at the centre of everything. “The public sector is breaking down traditional siloes and adapting to new ways of working, liv- ing and learning, partnering together with the private sector to drive a fundamental shift in the way the whole of government works. The digi- tally transformed government of tomorrow will harness the power of cloud, data and artificial intelligence to seamlessly integrate digital tech- nologies into everyday life. Ultimately, if we get the model right, engaging with government will be as easy as talking with a friend.” F E ATUR E We asked a selection of Microsoft partners how they are using Microsoft products and services to help public sector organisations maintain public services whilst effectively engaging with citizens Partner perspectives “Government agencies throughout the world use Nintex, a digital process management and automation platform, to manage, automate and optimise processes in and around the Microsoft platform. The global Covid-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the people, processes and systems needed to deliver services to citizens, the most notable being employment services, financial services and health services that were critical to citizens dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Government agencies leveraged the Nintex Process Cloud along with the Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud platforms to modernise or create new solutions to quickly and easily get citizens the services and benefits they needed while being unable to go to a government office. One such agency developed a new online form and automation solution using the Microsoft and Nintex cloud platforms to make it faster and easier for citizens to apply for and receive benefits.” Steve Witt Nintex Director, Public Sector