Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Agriculture - Works launches innovative project solution

Project management and collaboration portal will save department up to 20% of time for public works projects in Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Zayed Bridge Project provides pilot

Dubai, 11th April: Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Agriculture - Works (DMA-Works) has launched a new web-based project management and collaboration solution based on Microsoft technology, as part of the Abu Dhabi government's e-government initiative The new solution will allow DMA-Works, contractors, consultants and other stakeholders to collaborate, manage, monitor and plan all tasks for a specific project through an online portal, and will be used to manage all of Abu Dhabi's public building and infrastructure work.

The Project Collaboration and Management System through Project Specific Website Technology (PCMA-PSWS) system was developed by the DMA-Works Computerization Project team, in collaboration with Microsoft and local partner Emirates Computers. The solution combines a number of different technologies into a state-of-the-art portal which will cut the time and expense of projects for DMA-Works. The first project that will be managed using the system will be the Sheikh Zayed Bridge Project, a major new transportation and infrastructure project for Abu Dhabi.

"As part of Abu Dhabi's e-government initiatives, DMA-Works is committed to using new technology to improve efficiency. DMA-Works designs, builds and maintains many high-level building, construction and infrastructure projects that involve many different stakeholders, all with different roles and input. Automating all of the different business processes requires a very advanced technology platform, and with the PCMA-PSWS built using Microsoft .Net, we are confident that we have a solution which will cut project times by up to 20% and create cost savings of up to 15%," said His Excellency, Hamad Al Hurr Al Suwaiedi, Acting Chairman, DMA.

The PCMA-PSWS system is based on Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server, which enables all of the different project stakeholders to access the system through a web-based portal, so that all parties can work together, wherever they are in the world. For the Sheikh Zayed Bridge Project, this means that architects and engineers in Britain will be able to follow their part of the project and collaborate with other members of the project team in Abu Dhabi, which will create considerable savings.

The system also uses other Microsoft solutions, including Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Project Server 2003, along with engineering collaboration technology from Autodesk. Construction data from the project can be gathered and distributed on site using wireless PDAs and Tablet PCs, while wireless web cams have been set up on site to provide remote monitoring.

The Sheikh Zayed Bridge Project is a major new infrastructure project including bridges and road links that will provide a crucial link between Abu Dhabi and other emirates. The project, which costs 1.1 billion dirhams, includes the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, which features a unique asymmetrical design that symbolizes the shape of desert sand dunes.

"The solution that DMA-Works has developed is a highly innovative approach to project management, and a powerful demonstration of the capabilities of Microsoft applications and the .NET platform. We are very pleased to have worked with DMA-Works on this solution, and we are confident that it will help deliver building and infrastructure projects on time and on budget for the benefit of the residents of Abu Dhabi." said Abdullatif Al Mulla, General Manager of Microsoft South Gulf.

-Ends-

About DMA-Works
The Public Works Department of Abu Dhabi was formed by Emiri decree in 1966, with responsibility for creating all of the mammoth task of building an entire country from the very basic infrastructure facilities. The department has been responsible for a wide range of projects in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates, and for the UAE as a whole, including building housing units, hospitals, mosques, complexes for local and federal government departments, road networks, bridges, airports and seaports as well as carrying out dredging and land reclamation works. The department has completed over 10 billion dirhams worth of projects in its history, with a further 5 billion still in execution.

About Microsoft Corporation
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based Middle East office in 1991. Microsoft today has five subsidiaries in the Middle East region: Microsoft South Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Pakistan, Microsoft North Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Microsoft Arabia covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Microsoft East Med covering , Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Malta and Microsoft Egypt. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast

For further information contact:
Microsoft contact:
Bahaa Issa
Microsoft South Gulf
Tel: 00-9714-3917000
Fax: 00-9714-3917001

Media contact:
Mark Sutton
ASDA'A Public Relations
Tel: 00-9714-3344550
Fax: 00-9714-3344556
Email: m.sutton@asdaa.com

DMA-Works contact:
Shayne Hakki
DMA-Works e-Government Project Manager
Email: shayne@wd.gov.ae

or Ahmer Al-Mazrouei
IT Center Manager
Email: mazrouei@wd.gov.ae