Empowering Nations with Technology

Seattle, Wash., April 15, 1999 — In today’s fast-paced digital economy, global competitiveness is crucial for success. Organizations that harness technology to enhance the speed and efficiency of communication are empowered to compete in this complicated environment, and governments are no exception.

In order to empower government leaders with peer discussion and valuable knowledge for the digital age, Microsoft Corp. is hosting over 300 key government technology officials at the Government Leaders’ Conference. This customer-focused event provides a technologically geared forum suitable for dialogue and discussion with fellow dignitaries; this year’s theme, “Empowering Nations with Technology,” provides a framework for governments to explore future technological innovations, including those involving the implementation of comprehensive IT solutions.

Many of these solutions are made possible through the development of a complete “digital nervous system.” Many governments and businesses throughout the world have already turned this vision into reality, implementing a customized digital nervous system that simplifies administration and lowers the total cost of operation. The conference allows governments to share these

“Technological discussion and exploration is of profound importance for both individual governments and the people they represent,” said Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates. “By utilizing digital tools to reinvent the way they work, governments and other organizations can gain a powerful competitive advantage as they move into the new millennium.”

Event organizers anticipate attendees from well over 50 nations, including those within Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and North America. Many of these national and international leaders will head discussion groups and share their own firsthand experiences during the event. Among those currently scheduled to speak are Dr. John Hamre, deputy secretary, Department of Defense, United States; Dr. Nikolaus Schwab, IT director, Ministry of Interior, Austria; Mohamed Bhyat, chief director of IT, Gauteng Provincial Government, Johannesburg, South Africa; Guillermo Vargas, minister of education, Costa Rica; Jacques Cordonnier, president and senator, Strasbourg, France; and Linda Roberts, director of Education Technology, Department of Education, United States. Microsoft executives Gates and Robert J. Herbold, executive vice president, COO, Worldwide Operating Groups, will also present.

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