Microsoft introduces new range of Solution Offerings

Microsoft recently introduced its initial range of Solution Offerings, which are designed to provide focused, business- and industry-specific solutions to customers. The first set of Solution Offerings available locally include the Microsoft Solution for Supplier Enablement, the Microsoft Solution for Intranets and the Microsoft Solution for Internet Business.

The Solution Offerings combine the power of Microsoft`s enterprise software, including Windows, Microsoft .NET Enterprise Servers and Office, with prescriptive tools, support and services from Microsoft and partners to solve the most common business and IT problems facing companies today. The Microsoft Solution for Supplier Enablement (MSSE) is an integrated technology solution that provides powerful business results by enabling suppliers to connect to any customer`s e-procurement system or marketplace in a cost-effective way. Suppliers of all sizes will benefit from reduced operational costs while gaining access to new revenue opportunities.

"We have worked closely with a wide range of suppliers to understand the issues they face and ways they would like to optimise their businesses. Based on this feedback, we created a comprehensive solution that provides rich functionality, end-to-end customer support and enterprise-level reliability at a cost that makes it feasible for any size supplier to implement," says Gordon Frazer, Deputy Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa.

BidVest, a conglomerate with 750 business units and 350 000 local and global customers, is the first early adopter of the MSSE in SA. Bidvest`s mymarket.com is believed to be the largest open, business-to-business e-commerce marketplace yet established in SA and is already experiencing impressive business results including increased sales, lower operational expenses and improved customer satisfaction.

The Microsoft Solution for Intranets (MSI), enables the deployment of an advanced knowledge workplace comprising Web-based team collaboration, information management and discovery, and broadcast delivery of business communications to every employee desktop.

Once deployed, the solution provides a portal for rapid access to business information, including media broadcast, a collaboration space for teams and intuitive document management. The Windows Media Broadcast component of the solution allows corporations to make their communications more effective by delivering real-time or on-demand broadcasts to every employee desktop.

"Companies increasingly view corporate intranets as highly leveraged investments that enable employees to work more efficiently and effectively by unlocking knowledge stored within the organisation and collaborating on that information with colleagues," concludes Frazer. "This solution will give knowledge workers the tools to facilitate better information sharing and retrieval, allowing organisations to realise increased knowledge worker productivity and improved business agility."

The third solution to be introduced, the Microsoft Solution for Internet Business (MSIB), enables businesses to quickly build dynamic Internet applications that manage relationships with customers and partners more effectively, improve customer satisfaction, and provide rich retail capabilities to improve business efficiency and compete more effectively in the global Internet economy.

More information about the Microsoft Solution Offerings can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/solutions.