Microsoft is trying to help governments stop reinventing the digital wheel.
As part of its many programs designed to keep government customers happy, the software giant has set up what it calls the Solutions Sharing Network, essentially a series of portals that government entities can use to post their own tips, procedures and even in-house software.
There is no cost to the governments that set up the site and the tools that they provide are also free to other governments that wish to adopt them. For example, the London Borough of Newham has posted a customer relationship management application that it developed. "There is no restriction from Microsoft on what"s hosted," said Oliver Bell, the program manager for the project.