News
Microsoft Forms Health Services Alliance
- By Wyatt Kash
- June 16, 2008
Microsoft and 15 partner companies, including Unisys and EDS, announced a new
working alliance intent on forging technology architecture for the heath and
human services (HHS) market.
The aim of the alliance is to connect disparate state and jurisdictional HHS
systems give providers a single, comprehensive view into citizen and customer
needs.
The alliance, which was announced June 12 at the Government Health IT Conference
and Exhibition, will combine applications, information infrastructure and delivery
expertise to accelerate efforts to bridge legacy programs.
The group will use version 2.0 of the Microsoft Connected Health and Human
Services Framework, released this week. The framework details the core infrastructure
requirements based on the Windows family of servers, tools and applications
for integration, security, collaboration, reporting and analysis.
"The extensive engagement of current and future partners in this framework
will allow all of our state customers to provide a holistic approach to serving
the citizens with whom they are engaging," said Bill O'Leary, executive director
of HHS for the U.S. public sector at Microsoft. "This group of partners is coming
together to put a stake in the ground around connecting information technology
and cross-agency processes so citizens are the beneficiaries of top-notch service."
HHS expenditures constitute as much as 40 percent of state budgets. Rising
Medicaid costs are adding to those budgets each year. Many HHS agencies, departments
and programs, however, remain disconnected both in terms of IT and internal
processes. Those problems are compounded by layers of legacy systems that support
services to the same individuals or families but which typically have little
or no ability to reference each other.
The alliance expects to take advantage of a variety of ongoing solutions from
current and future partner companies. Additional details are here.
About the Author
Wyatt Kash is the editor in chief of Government Computer News (GCN.com).