Microsoft chooses IntraCS for its internal information management system

Microsoft South Africa has replaced its intranet and knowledge management system with IntraCS, developed by local IT solutions company, Intervate. The solution has effectively given Microsoft employees an easier way to locate information and interface with each other, which has resulted in increase in productivity and decrease in dependency on paper-based systems.

Likened to an `operating system` for intranets, IntraCS is designed to overcome the traditional problems associated with intranet development. IntraCS combines all of Microsoft`s corporate information into a single, customised browser interface that can be personalised for each individual user. "IntraCS effectively empowers staff members to manage their responsibilities and daily business lives from a central point, which positively impacts staff productivity," says Migal van As, managing director of Intervate. "Applications included in the knowledge management framework are among others, an enterprise portal, content management, document management, enterprise search and a staff organiser."

"IntraCS intranet framework provides `out-of-the-box` functionality which allowed our deployment partner, IDION Business Solutions Group, to custom build four new modules in the solution,` says Garry Hodgson, Internet development group director at Microsoft South Africa. "Further custom-designed modules include: goals and objectives, a funds manager, status report and a canteen module."

"IntraCS provides the essential integration between different intranet applications and the relevant data source. The deployment of a solution of this nature could take up to 5 000 hours, however with the out-of-the-box functionality provided by IntraCS, we were able to reduce the time to about 1 500 hours, which has meant a substantial cost saving," says Herman Taljaard, business development manager at IDION Busines Solutions Group.

"The implementation of IntraCS within Microsoft South Africa, has cemented the relationship between the two companies. In addition, Intervate has also recently been appointed as the only Microsoft Digital Dashboard partner," says van As.